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LIBRARY  OF  THE  THEOLOGICAL  SEMINARY 


PRINCETON,    N.    J. 


Purchased  by  the 
Mrs.  Robert  Lenox  Kennedy  Church   History  Fund. 


BX  8958  .H9  M66  1892 
Moore,  R.  Braden  1835-1906. 
History  of  Huron  presbytery 


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JUL  17  1929 

HISTORY     %„«„.*^ 


HURON  PRESBYTERY, 


SHOWING 


THE  WORKING  OF  THE  PLAN  OF  UNION  FROM  ITS  INCEPTION  IN  1801 
TILL  AFTER  THE  REUNION  IN  1870;  ALSO  THE  SPIRIT  OF  THE  PRES- 
BYTERY REGARDING  RELIGIOUS,  GENERAL,  AND   NATIONAL 
INTERESTS;     WITH     BIOGRAPHICAL    NOTICE    OF    SOME 
MINISTERS,   AND    SKETCHES    OF  THE    CHURCHES. 


COMPILED  AND  WRITTEN   BY 

REV.   R.   BRADEN   MOORE,   D.D, 


PHILADELPHIA  : 
PRESS    OF  WM.   F.  FELL  &  CO., 

1220-1224  8ANS0M  STREET. 
1892. 


PREFATORIAL 


Somewhere  about  the  year  1885,  on  motion  of  Rev.  W.  T. 
Hart,  Rev.  R.  B.  Moore  was  appointed  historian  of  Huron 
Presbytery.  The  idea  in  this  appointment  was  that  a  condensed 
history  should  be  prepared  from  the  records  of  the  past  years, 
the  same  reported  to  the  Presbytery,  and  then  preserved,  while 
additional  matter  from  year  to  year  should  be  added  thereto, 
this  also  to  be  reported  at  the  regular  meetings  of  the  body. 
The  writer,  who  was  the  person  appointed  to  this  office,  entered 
upon  the  duties  assigned  him.  In  reviewing  the  older  records 
he  became  greatly  interested,  and  soon  found  himself  penning 
much  more  than  was  originally  intended.  The  matter,  how- 
ever, seemed  to  him  to  be  worthy  of  preservation  as  history; 
and  as,  if  he  adhered  to  the  original  idea,  he  would  have  to 
pass  by  the  doings  of  the  body,  the  things  that  were  its  real 
life,  and  that  intoned  it  all  the  way  along  with  living  interest, 
he  concluded,  out  of  his  own  pleasure,  to  give  his  work  the 
wider  range.  He  found  it  an  agreeable  thing  to  seek  other 
helps  besides  the  bare  records,  that  he  might  know  the  minis- 
ters, the  churches,  and  the  real  thought  and  life  of  the  actors 
in  the  Presbytery,  He  gave  his  heart  and  mind  to  the  matter, 
went  back  to  the  beginning,  and  entered  into  sympathy  with 
those  noble  actors  in  their  struggles,  in  their  Presbyterial  meet- 
ings, and  in  their  efforts  to  resolve  and  to  do  the  things  that 
God  would  have  them  do.  He  has,  in  imagination,  been  with 
them  as  they  planted  the  churches,  as  they  watched  over  their 
early  struggles  to  grow  into  strength  and  usefulness,  and  as 
they  went  forward  earnestly  in  the  discharge  of  duties  both 
agreeable  and  unsavory.  He  has  been  interested  in  their  dis- 
cussions and  resolutions  upon  important  subjects;   has  been 


iv  PBEFATORIAL. 

charmed  to  see  how  generally  they  were  right  and  wise  in  their 
decisions,  and  how  they  seem  to  have  been  under  a  never- 
failing  Divine  guidance.  Especially  has  the  subject  of  the 
"  Plan  of  Union,"  that  Plan  that  in  the  early  years  of  this  cen- 
tury united  Congregationalism  and  Presbyterianism  in  so  great 
and  noble  a  work  as  the  evangelization  of  the  then  Western 
wilds,  but  which  was  also  the  instrument  which  did  so  much 
toward  dividing  the  Presbyterian  Church  in  1837, — especially 
has  this  "  Plan  of  Union  "  been  studied  with  interest.  Its  rela- 
tion to  the  Western  Reserve  and  to  Huron  Presbytery,  as  the 
churches  in  the  Reserve  and  in  the  Presbytery  were  founded 
upon  this  "  Plan,"  has  been  carefully  noted.  And  we  must 
here  confess  that  while  for  years  there  was  in  this  Presbytery 
the  struggle — a  struggle  which  no  people  outside  of  these 
bounds,  or  of  others  similar,  could  possibly  clearly  realize,  ever 
in  operation  to  be  true,  on  the  one  hand,  to  the  great  ideal  of 
Presbyterianism,  and  as  true,  on  tlie  other,  to  the  Plan  of  Union, 
to  which  churches  and  ministers  were  under  so  great  obliga- 
tion, we  have  been  held  fast  by  a  sense  of  glowing  admiration 
as  we  have  seen  how  the  fathers  and  the  holy  men  of  this  body 
have  been  all  the  while,  in  their  heart  of  hearts,  true  as  human 
being-s  could  be  to  the  actualities  of  their  environments.  Thev 
were  bound  to  certain  lines  of  Presbyterial  conduct  by  the 
"  Plan  of  Union."  To  their  sense  of  duty  in  the  circumstances, 
and  to  each  and  all  of  the  churches  included,  they  were  "  true 
as  steel."  Yet  they  loved  the  Presbytery  and  the  General 
Assembly,  and,  with  an  intensified  sadness  and  grief,  lamented 
the  great  disruption  of  1837.  They  were  better  Presbyterians 
than  the  General  Assembly  thought  they  were. 

After  "  the  excision,"  while  in  the  New  School  body,  they 
were  still  under  the  Plan  of  Union ;  and  never  was  a  body  of 
men — a  body  changing  all  the  while  as  to  some  of  its  constitu- 
ent members — more  true  to  the  circumstances  of  the  situation 
than  was  this  Presbytery.  Their  hearts  were  true,  as  they 
viewed  their  relation,  to  the  Missionary  Boards  on  the  one  hand, 
and,  on  the  other,  to  that  article  of  agreement  which  originated 


PBEFATORIAL.  V 

in  the  year  1801,  and  to  which  nearly  all  the  churches  in  this 
body  had  some  relation.  The  relation  of  the  body  and  of  most 
of  the  churches  to  several  of  the  American  Boards  or  societies 
continued  through  a  large  part  of  their  history  as  New  School 
organizations;  and  the  Presbytery  was  beautifully  true  on 
down  the  years  until,  in  the  Providence  of  God,  relief  so  surely 
came,  and  Presbytery  and  churches  were  left  with  a  clear  course 
before  them,  and  nothing  to  hinder  them  from  being  in  the 
fullest  sense  Presbyterian.  The  way  was  thus,  while  up  to  the 
very  last  the  Presbytery  remained  true  to  its  abiding  sense  of 
duty,  prepared  in  this  region  for  the  blessed  reunion  of  1870 ; 
and  since  that  time  all  things  have  moved  forward  in  the 
regular  Presbyterian  groove. 

Our  interest  in  all  this  history  has  led  us  onward.  We  have 
taken  our  place  with  these  men  in  their  deliberations,  and 
have  in  heart  said  "Amen  ! "  when  they  have  adopted  some 
excellent  resolutions  and  have  spoken  out  on  the  great  ques- 
tions of  the  day.  To  us  the  deliberations  have  been  those  of 
wise  and  good  men.  We  have  admired  and  loved  the  men  we 
have  never  seen  face  to  face.  We  have  lived  in  many  a  Pres- 
byterial  meeting  with  them  as  we  have  been  reading  or  writing ; 
and  as  we  have  been  interested  or  have  admired,  we  have 
written.    This  is  our  only  apology  for  having  written  so  much. 

The  history  has  grown  upon  our  hands,  and  we  have  felt 
that  it  ought  to  be  preserved  to  the  churches  and  read  by  them, 
and  that  those  of  the  present  day  and  of  the  future  ought  to 
know  what  the  holy  men  who  have  gone  to  glory  endured, 
enjoyed,  spoke,  and  did  while  here  in  the  flesh  and  as  members 
of  Huron  Presbytery.  We  have,  therefore,  ventured  to  send 
forth  this  book.  We  only  hope  that  many  who  read  it  may  be 
half  so  much  benefited  in  the  reading  as  we  have  been  in  the 
writing ;  for  nothing  brings  richer  revenues  of  pleasure  to  our 
heart  than,  as  we  look  into  the  words  and  acts  of  men,  to  be 
able  to  feel  that  noble  hearts  and  heavenly  grace  have  been 
behind  the  words  and  the  acts.  And  to  the  Presbytery  this 
book  is  affectionately  dedicated. 

R.  B.  Moore. 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER   I— ANTECEDENT   HISTORY. 

First  Churches  and  Ministers  in  Western  Reserve,  1  ;  "  The  Falling  Exercises," 
3;  "The  Plan  of  Union,"  5;  "Peculiar  Ecclesiasticism, "  8;  Difficulty 
First  Felt,  8  ;  Grand  River*  Presbytery,  9  ;  Presbytery  of  Portage,  9  ; 
Huron  Presbytery,  10  ;   Early  Preaching  in  Huron  County,  10. 

CHAPTER  II.— HURON  PRESBYTERY  FROM  1823  TO  1830. 

Presbytery  Organized,  13  ;  The  Constitution,  14  ;  Confession  of  Faith,  18  ;  The 
Covenant,  20  ;  Articles  of  Practice,  21  ;  Design  of  all  this,  23  ;  Other  Busi- 
ness, 25  ;  Meetings  of  1824,  26  ;  Western  Reserve  College,  27  ;  1825,  28  ; 
Synod  of  Western  Reserve,  29  ;  1826,  31  ;  Questions  Raised,  32  ;  Care  for 
the  Poor,  32  ;  1827,  34  ;  Special  Interests,  35  ;  List  of  Churches,  36  ;  1828 
to  1829,  36  ;  Milan  Church,  37  ;  Important  Questions,  38  ;  The  Sabbath 
School,  39  ;  Temperance,  40  ;  Penitentiary  Chaplain,  40  ;  Need  of  Ministers, 
41  ;  Prayer  for  the  Assembly,  41. 

CHAPTER   III.— FROM  1830  TO  1837. 

Ministers  and  Churches,  43  ;  Judicial  Case  of  Elder  Crocker,  44  ;  Constitutional 
Changes,  45  ;  Cleveland  Presbytery  Formed,  46  ;  Rev.  Alvan  Coe,  48  ;  Rev. 
Alfred  H.  Betts,  50  ;  Rev.  Simeon  Woodruff,  54  ;   Ministers  and  Churches 
in  1831,  56  ;  Law  for  Receiving  Ministers,  57  ;  Huron  Classical  Institute, 
59  ;   Ministers  and  Churches  in  1832-36,  65  ;   Rev.  James  Robinson,  65 
Rev.    Loren   Robbins,   66  ;    Other   Ministers,    66  ;    Rev.    A.   Newton,   67 
Dismissals  and  Deaths,  68  ;    Other  Additions  of  Men  and  Churches,  68 
Rev.  Joseph  Crawford  Disciplined,  68  ;  Other  Cases  of  Casuistry,  69  ;  New 
Confession  of  Faith,  70. 

CHAPTER   IV.— THE   IMPENDING   CRISIS. 

First  Troubled  Waters,  72  ;  Home  Missions  and  Cincinnati  Convention,  74  ; 
Rise  of  Oberlinism,  81  ;  Slavery,  83  ;  The  Plan  of  Union,  85  ;  The  Boards 
and  Societies,  88  ;  The  Chief  Ground  of  Complaint,  89  ;  Father  Conger 
Defended,  91  ;  "The  Excision" — Was  it  Justifiable?  91 ;  Huron  Presbytery 
on  the  Excision,  94. 

vii 


viii  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  v.— FROM  1837  TO  1842. 
Rev.  Stephen  J.  Bradstrcet,  98  ;  Mini.sters  after  the  Exci.sion,  99  ;  Churches  in 
1838,  99  ;  Some  Changes,  100  ;  Sloughing  off  of  People  and  Churches,  101  ; 
Loraiu  Presbytery  Added,  102  ;  Roll  of  Ministers  in  1840,  103  ;  Roll  of 
Cliurehes  in  1840,  103  ;  Changes  in  1840,  104  ;  Mauniee  Presbytery  Added, 
104  ;  Roll  Changes  in  1841,  104  ;  Death  of  Rev.  F.  Child,  105  ;  Some  Judi- 
cial Cases,  105  ;  Rev.  E.  P.  Salmon  Tried,  105  ;  Ca.se  of  H.  C.  Taylor,  107  ; 
Rev.  II.  Cowles,  108;  Rev.  B.  Woodbury,  109;  Un.sound  Doctrine,  110; 
Three  Good  Men  Rejected,  110;  Oberliu  Perfectionism,  112  :  Benevolence 
and  Knowledge,  128. 

CHAPTER  VI.— FROM  1842  TO  1844. 
A  Dissatisfied  New  Member,  130;  Unsatisfactory  Constitutions,  132;  Changes 
in  1842,  132  ;  Death,  lustallations,  and  Dissolutions,  133  ;  Huron  Divided, 
Elyria  Formed,  133  ;  The  Presl)ytery  of  Elyria,  134  ;  Rev.  Hubbard  Law- 
rence, 134  ;  Presbytery  of  Maumee  Erected,  135  ;  Results  in  Miuistei-s  and 
Churches,  136. 

CHAPTER   YIL— FROM  1844  TO  1860. 

Presbyterial  Bounds  and  Changes,  137  ;  Rev.  B.  B.  Judsou  Dies,  139  ;  Records 
in  1845,  138  ;  In  1846,  139  ;  In  1847,  140  ;  Syuodical  Exceptions,  140  ; 
Changes  in  1848,  141  ;  Rev.  Everton  Judson  Dies — Memorial,  142  ;  Changes 
in  1849  and  1850,  147-48;  Rev.  N.  W.  Fisher  Dies,  147  ;  Western  Reserve 
College  Aided,  147  ;  Tiffin  Church  Withdraws,  148  ;  Changes  in  1851,  149  ; 
The  Sandusky  Church  Withdraws,  150  ;  1852,  153  ;  Rev.  F.  S.  White,  153  ; 
1853  and  1854,  154  ;  Rev.  A.  K.  Barr  Suspended,  155  ;  1855-56-57,  156  ; 
Attica  Church  Dissolved,  157  ;  Johnson  Ford,  157  ;  The  Dutch  Clnirch  of 
Sandusky,  158;  1858,  1859,  1860,  160;  Confession  of  Faith  and  Covenant, 
160. 

CHAPTER   VIII.— FROM   1844   TO   1860. 
Important  Questions. 

I.  Neglectful  Removing  Communicants,  161.  II.  Communicants  without  Saving 
Experience,  162.  III.  Secret  Societies,  163.  IV.  Divorce  and  Other  Ques- 
tions, 165.  V.  3Iilan  Church  Records,  167.  VI.  The  Pastoral  Relation,  172. 
VII.  Doctrinal  Strictness  and  Liberality,  174  ;  Baptism,  174.  VIII.  Slavery, 
180;  Memorial  to  General  Assembly,  187.  IX.  The  Plan  of  Union  and  the 
American  Home  3Iission  Society,  193.     X.  Education  for  the  Ministry,  200. 

CHAPTER   IX.— FROM  1861  TO  1870. 

I.   Chronicles  of    3Iinistcrs  and  Churches,   204  ;    The  Sandusky   Church,  204 ; 

Further  Receptions  and  Dismissals,  206 ;   Presbytery  of  Elyria  Dissolved, 

207  ;  From  1867  to  1869,  208  ;   1870,  209  ;  Rev.  A.  Newton,  D.P.,  and  the 

Norwalk  Church,  210  ;  Meeting  of  September  13,  1870,  211.    II.  State  of  the 


CONTENTS.  ix 

Countnj,  212.  III.  State  of  the  Churches,  219  ;  Thoughts  for  the  World, 
220  ;  Help  for  Rev.  H.  S.  Taylor's  Church,  220  ;  A  Good  Year,  221  ;  Church 
Enterprise,  223  ;  The  Confession  SimpliHed,  223.  IV.  TJie  Reunion,  224  ; 
Readjustment  of  Preshytery,  229. 

CHAPTER   X.— FROM  1871   TO  1892. 

I.  The  New  Status,  231.  II.  Chronicles  of  this  Period,  232  ;  Lyme  Church,  233  ; 
1873  to  1882,  234-237  ;  Rev.  E.  Bushnell,  D.D.,  237 ;  Rev.  J.  H.  Walter,  238  ; 
Dr.  Bushnell  and  Mr.  Walter,  238  ;  Resume  of  Record,  239  ;  1882  to  1892, 
239-44.  III.  Death  and  3Iemoriat,  244  ;  Rev.  H.  S.  Taylor,  244  ;  Rev.  Eldad 
Barber,  244  ;  Rev.  Joel  Talcott,  246  ;  Rev.  Enoch  Conger,  247  ;  Rev.  Andrew 
Huntington,  253 ;  Elder  Jairus  Kennan,  253  ;  Rev.  E.  R.  Chase,  254  ;  Rev. 
Alfred  Newton,  d.d.,  254;  Dr.  Bushnell's  Memorial  Address,  256;  Rev. 
Marcus  Palmer,  260  ;  Rev.  Wm.  Dewey,  261  ;  Rev.  Lemuel  Bissell,  D.D., 
262.  IV.  Unpleasant  Duties,  266  ;  Plymouth  Trouble,  267  ;  Other  Cases, 
267  ;  Clyde  Church  and  Rev.  A.  M.  Meili,  267  ;  Other  Cases,  273.  V. 
Revivals,  274  ;  No  Traveling  Evangelist  Employed,  276  ;  The  Work  in 
1857-8-9,  279  ;  Revival  of  1872-3,  282.  VI.  Care  for  the  Weaker  Churches, 
285;  Various  EflForts  Made,  287  ;  Rural  Population,  288  ;  Action  of  1873  ; 
Visitation  of  Churches,  293  ;  Action  of  1886.  VII.  Temperance :  The  Cru- 
sade, 300  ;  The  Second  Amendment,  301.  VII.  The  Sabbath :  Commend 
the  Postal  Department,  303 ;  Overturing  the  Synod.  304.  IX.  Revising  the 
Confession,  305.  X.  Social  Amusements,  307  ;  The  Prevailing  Judgment  of 
Presbytery,  308.  XL  3Iissionary  Spirit,  309  ;  Ladies'  Missionary  Societies, 
309 ;  Presbyterial  W.  F.  M.  Society,  310  ;  Presbyterial  W.  H.  M.  Society, 
312  ;  System  Observed,  313  ;  Worship  by  Offerings,  314  ;  Comparative  Sta- 
tistics, 315.  XII.  Green  Spring  Academy,  317.  XIII.  The  3Iinisters^  fleet- 
ing, 322.     XIV.  Summary,  327  ;  As  it  Now  Stands,  328. 

PART   II.— HISTORY   OF   THE   CHURCHES,  329. 

The  Peru  Church,  329  ;    Milan  Church,  333  ;    Melmore  Church,  347  ;    Tiffin 
Church,  355  ;  Norwalk  Church,  366  ;  Monroeville  Church,  376  ;  Republic 
Church,  381  ;   Church  of  Fremont,  389  ;   Olena  Church,  399  ;   Church  of 
Huron,  403  ;  The  Bloomville  Church,  410  ;  Sandusky  Church,  417  ;  McCut- 
chensville  Church,  427  ;  Fostoria  Church,  433  ;  Green  Spring  Church,  441 
Church  of  Clyde,  448  ;  Elmore  Church,  455  ;  The  Church  of  Genoa,  459 
Church  of  Graytown,  463  ;  Chicago  Church,  464  ;  Church  of  Steuben,  469 
Other  Churches,  471  ;  The  Church  of  Lyme,  474  ;  Denominational  Results, 
483. 

APPENDIX. 

A.  The  Melmore  Church.     B.  Names,  485. 


HISTORY  OF  HURON  PRESBYTERY. 


CHAPTER  I. 
ANTECEDENT  HISTORY. 

The  nineteenth  century  has  been  a  period  of  pecuHar  interest. 
There  have  been  great  developments  in  the  scientific  and 
material  world.  The  Church  also  has  had  its  encouraging 
features,  in  the  way  of  growth  and  advancement.  Progress 
has  been  made  toward  evangelizing  the  world.  This  has  been 
a  missionary  period ;  and  Northern  Ohio  has  been  in  living 
touch  with  the  rest  of  the  world  in  its  varied  interests,  and 
perhaps  especially  so  as  regards  those  that  are  religious.  This 
highly-favored  region  has  both  felt  the  influence  of  Christian 
institutions  and  has  helped  to  establish  them  at  home  and 
abroad;  and  the  history  of  its  churches  and  people  for  the 
space  covered  by  the  last  ninety-two  3^ears,  is  most  worthy  of 
our  thoughtful  attention. 

At  the  beginning  of  this  century  there  was  but  one  church 
in  Northern  Ohio.  There  was  in  the  Western  Reserve  a  total 
population  of  only  1144.  In  the  year  1800  there  were  two 
ministers  just  entered  upon  their  sacred  work ;  and  during 
that  year  one  church  was  organized.  This  was  the  Presby- 
terian Church  of  Youngstown,  Mahoning  County.  Its  first 
pastor  was  Rev.  Wm.  Wick,  who  had  begun  to  preach  at  that 
place,  occasionally,  in  the  latter  part  of  1799.  At  this  time, 
the  whole  of  the  Western  Reserve  formed  but  one  county, 
called  Trumbull,  and  Warren  was  the  county  seat.  The  other 
minister  who  began  to  preach  on  the  Reserve  in  1800,  was 
1  1 


2  HISTORY  OF  in: RON  PRESnVTKRV. 

Rev.  Joseph  Badger,  wliose  name  will  frequently  appear  in 
this  history. 

He  was  a  Congregationalist,  sent  out  by  the  Missionary 
Society  of  Connecticut.  The  Rev.  Wm.  Wick  was  a  Presby- 
terian, belonging  to  the  Presbytery  of  Ohio.  He  was  born  on 
Long  Island,  N.  Y.,  June  29th,  1768.  From  a  brief  account 
of  him,  given  in  the  "History  of  Washington  Presbytery, 
Pennsylvania,"  by  Rev.  W.  F.  Hamilton,  d.d.,  we  learn  that 
the  family  removed  to  Washington  County,  Pennsylvania,  at 
an  early  day.  He  studied  at  Cannonsburg  Academy ;  was  one 
of  the  founders  of  Franklin  Literary  Society  in  that  institu- 
tion, in  1797 ;  read  theology  under  Dr.  John  McMillan ;  was 
licensed  by  the  Presbytery  of  Ohio,  August  28th,  1799,  and 
was  ordained  by  the  same  Presbytery,  September  3d,  1800. 
He  died  at  Hopewell,  Pennsjdvania,  March  29tli,  1815,  in  the 
47th  year  of  his  age ;  and  pursuant  to  his  request  was  buried 
at  Youngstown,  Ohio.  He  had  been  married  before  he  began 
to  study  for  the  ministry.  Half  of  his  time  as  a  pastor  was 
devoted  to  the  church  of  Youngstown,  the  other  half  to  Hope- 
well. Mr.  AVick  and  Mr.  Badger  entered  their  fields  not  far 
from  the  same  time. 

Thus,  in  the  year  1800,  began  Presbyterianism  and  Congre- 
gationalism to  work  for  the  Master,  side  by  side,  and 
to  mould  the  character  of  the  growing  pojailation  of  North- 
eastern Ohio.  They  not  only  worked  side  b}^  side,  but  hand 
in  hand.  In  beautiful  harmony  these  two  denominations  con- 
tinued, for  years,  to  labor  together  on  this  interesting  field, 
where  the  people  were  hungry  for  the  Gospel,  and  where  the 
population  was  rapidly  increasing. 

So  remarkably  united  were  the}^  in  the  one  grand  object  of 
missionary  enterprise,  to  Christianize  communities,  homes,  and 
individuals,  that  a  proposition  was  made,  on  the  part  of  the 
Missionary  Society  of  Connecticut,  to  the  Presbytery  of  Hart- 
ford, of  the  Synod  of  Pittsburg,  to  the  effect  that  if  the  Pres- 
bytery would  furnish  ministers  for  the  Reserve,  the  Connecti- 
cut Society  would  support  them.     Mr.  Wick,  a  Presbyterian, 


ANTECEDENT  HISTORY.  3 

was  himself,  to  some  extent,  it  is  said,  supported  by  the  Con- 
necticut Society.  This  spirit  of  co-labor  resulted,  so  early  as 
1801,  in  the  adoption  of  what  has  been  ever  since  known  as 
the  "  Plan  of  Union  "  for  the  organization  of  churches  in  the 
Western  Reserve,  of  which  further  notice  will  be  taken  here- 
after. 

Other  ministers  followed  the  two  above  named,  year  after 
year,  until  in  1810  there  were  eight  on  this' field,  with  nineteen 
churches  organized.  In  this  decade  the  population  of  the 
Reserve  had  increased  from  1144  in  1800,  to  16,241  in  1810. 

Presbyterians  and  Orthodox  Congregational  ists  were,  as  a 
rule,  the  first  Christians  who  occupied  this  region.  Other 
denominations,  however,  soon  began  to  come  in.  The  Metho- 
dists especiall}'^,  were  not  long  in  finding  an  opening,  and  the}' 
have  borne  a  part  in  the  "  evangelization  of  the  wilderness." 
Considering  the  first  two  denominations  named,  of  the  churches 
organized  some  were  more  strictly  Presbyterial,  and  others 
more  purely  Congregational  in  polity.  The  form  of  govern- 
ment in  each  case  was  decided  largely  by  the  ecclesiastical 
preferences  of  the  minister  who  organized  the  church  and 
the  prevailing  sentiment  of  the  majority  of  the  people  who 
composed  it. 

We  have  not  been  able  to  learn  the  number  of  members 
gathered  into  these  churches  during  the  early  years  of  their 
history,  but  we  are  told  of  some  very  noteworthy  revivals  that 
occurred  in  this  region  and  in  Western  Pennsylvania  in  the 
years  1802  and  1803.  There  were  scenes,  under  the  preaching 
of  the  Word,  among  the  most  remarkable  of  the  kind  on 
record.  Sinners  were  overwhelmed  with  a  sense  of  sin  and  of 
their  lost  condition,  distressed  because  of  their  hardness  of 
heart  and  their  enmity  to  God.  Christians  would  become 
overpowered  by  a  sense  of  God's  holiness  and  love.  And  both 
saints  and  sinners,  under  the  mighty  power  of  God's  truth  and 
grace,  would  fall  prostrate  and  helpless,  and  in  many  instances 
would  remain  so  for  a  considerable  time. 

Many  were  converted  and  added  to  the  churches,  and  the 


4  HISTORY  OF  nVROX  PRESnVTEIiV. 

churches  were  quickened  to  a  deep  and  earnest  life.  These 
scenes  were  known  as  "  the  falling  exercises."  To  many  per- 
sons they  were  hard  to  understand,  and  many  looked  upon 
them  doubtfully.  Yet,  the  prevailing  belief  of  Christians  was 
that  God  was  at  work  in  them,  and  that  many  souls  were 
graciously  saved.  This  we  must  believe  from  the  facts  that 
the  preaching  was  the  essential  Gospel  truth,  at  least  in  many 
noted  instances,  and  there  was  much  earnest  prayer  on  the 
part  of  Christians — sometimes  the  whole  night  being  thus 
occupied ;  and  then  the  results  were  such  as  are  characteristic 
of  a  genuine  work  of  grace. 

The  Rev.  Mr.  Badger  says  of  his  own  preaching  at  this  time, 
and  in  connection  with  this  remarkable  work,  that  "  he 
endeavored,  in  all  his  sermons,  to  hold  up  to  the  sinner's  mind 
the  doctrines  of  total  depravity,  repentance  as  a  present  duty, 
submission  to  God,  faith  in  the  Redeemer  as  the  only  possible 
way  of  salvation,  with  practical  application."  "  All  addresses 
to  the  passions  were  carefully  avoided." 

The  same  writer  says  that  those  Avho  were  so  deeply  exer- 
cised and  prostrated,  never  lost  their  senses  ;  their  minds  were 
unusually  active,  and  they  were  in  excellent  condition  to 
receive  instruction  ;  and  they  were  uniformly  instructed  that 
there  was  no  religion  in  merely  falling  down. 

"  Those  who  obtained  hope  spoke  of  the  purity  of  the  law, 
and  of  the  nature  and  tendency  of  sin  ;  and  many  seemed  to 
be  swallowed  up  in  views  of  the  justice  and  glory  of  the 
divine  government,  and  the  plan  of  salvation."  And  one  who 
took  great  pains  to  answer  the  inquiry.  Why  do  they  fall  ? 
says :  "  It  seems  to  be  nothing  more  than  the  effect  of  the  affec- 
tion of  the  mind.  In  the  case  of  the  impenitent  it  was  caused 
by  the  overwhelming  conviction  of  their  sins,  and  God's 
holiness  and  justice ;  and  in  the  case  of  Christians,  by  some 
peculiarly  clear  and  impressive  views  of  the  glory  of  God's 
character,  or  of  some  feature  in  the  plan  of  salvation." 

There  can  be  little  doubt  that  many  were  prepared  in  this 
work  of  grace,  mysterious  as  it  was  in  its  external  aspects,  for 


THE  PLAN  OF   UNION.  5 

work  in  the  Lord's  great  cause,  and  that  thus  were  the  founda- 
tions laid  for  blessed  results  which  were  manifest  in  after  years. 
During  the  first  decade  the  greatest  harmony  seems  to  have 
prevailed  in  the  work  of  the  churches  throughout  the  Reserve. 
Up  to  that  time,  and  for  years  after,  the  two  denominations 
were  so  near  together  in  doctrine  that  but  little  difficulty  was 
felt  by  members  of  the  one  in  going  into  a  church  belonging 
to  the  other. 

THE  PLAN  OF  UNION. 

The  harmony  of  operation  in  church  work  upon  this  field 
was  secured  by  the  "  Plan  of  Union,"  under  which  the  two 
denominations  were  united.  There  was  here  a  type  of  church 
government  which  was  new  to  the  world.  It  was  not  Congre- 
gationalism ;  it  was  not  Presbyterianism  ;  it  was  an  effort  at 
the  combination  of  the  two.  It  has  been  fitly  called  "  Presby- 
terialized  Congregationalism."  It  was  a  form  of  government 
developed  by  what  appeared  to  be  the  exigency  of  the  times 
and  of  the  field.  It  seemed  to  be  necessary.  It  was  adopted 
under  the  impulse  of  the  noblest  Christian  spirit,  under  the 
conviction  of  both  Presbyterian  and  Congregationalist  "  that 
Christians  agreeing  in  doctrine  and  spirit,  and  differing  only 
upon  points  of  church  polity,  when  planting  new  churches  in 
troublous  times  and  in  the  Western  forests,  could  not  afford  to 
cling  too  closely  to  their  forms  of  government." 

In  those  times,  and  in  this  region,  the  rivalry  of  sectarianism 
would  have  been  unfortunate.  Congregationalist  settlers  were 
coming  from  New  England ;  Presbyterians  were  coming  from 
Pennsylvania  and  Virginia.  They  were  planting  their  homes 
side  by  side.  By  far  the  larger  part  of  the  ministers  during 
this  early  period,  especially  from  180G  to  1812,  were  Presby- 
terian. But  the  larger  part  of  the  settlers  were  Congrega- 
tionalists.  Scarcely  in  any  place  would  the  numbers  have 
warranted  the  organization  of  two  churches,  the  one  Congrega- 
tionalist, and  the  other  Presbyterian.  The  spirit  that  prompted 
concession  on  both  sides  was  certainl}'  admirable,  and  this  was 


6  HISTORY  OF  HURON  PRESBYTERY. 

then  the  spirit  of  the  two  denominations  throughout  the  land. 
As  we  have  already  stated,  as  early  as  the  year  1801,  the 
General  Assembly  of  the  Presbyterian  Church,  and  the  Congre- 
gationalist  General  Association  of  Connecticut,  adopted  the 
famous  Plan  of  Union  for  these  Western  Missionary  fields.  It 
was  promulgated  and  sent  forth  anew  in  1806,  as  follows : — 


THE  PLAN. 

"  With  a  view  to  prevent  alienations,  and  to  promote  union 
and  harmony  in  those  new  settlements  which  are  composed  of 
inhabitants  from  Presbyterian  and  Congregationalist  bodies:" 

1st.  "It  is  strictly  enjoined  on  all  their  ^Missionaries  to  the 
new  settlements  to  endeavor,  by  all  proper  means,  to  promote 
mutual  forbearance  and  accommodation  between  those  inhabi- 
tants of  the  new  settlements  who  hold  the  Presbyterian,  and 
those  who  hold  the  Congregational  form  of  Church  govern- 
ment." 

2d.  "  If,  in  the  new  settlements,  any  cliurch  of  the  Congre- 
gational order  shall  settle  a  minister  of  the  Presbyterian  order, 
that  church  may,  if  they  choose,  still  conduct  their  discipline 
according  to  Congregational  principles,  settling  their  difficulties 
among  themselves,  or  by  a  council  mutually  agreed  upon  for 
that  purpose. 

"  But  if  any  difficulty  shall  exist  between  the  minister  and 
the  church,  or  any  member  of  it,  it  shall  be  referred  to  the 
Presbytery  to  which  the  minister  shall  belong,  provided  both 
parties  agree  to  it ;  if  not,  to  a  council  consisting  of  an  equal 
number  of  Presbyterians  and  Congregationalists,  agreed  upon 
by  both  parties." 

3d.  "  If  a  Presbyterian  Church  shall  settle  a  minister  of 
Congregationalist  principles,  that  church  may  still  conduct 
their  discipline  according  to  Presbyterian  principles,  excepting 
that  if  a  difficulty  arise  between  him  and  his  church,  or  any 
member  of  it,  the  case  shall  be  tried  by  the  Association  to 
Avhich  the  said  Minister  shall   belong,  provided  both   parties 


THE  PLAN  OF   UNION.  7 

agree  to  it ;  if  not,  by  a  council,  one-half  Congregational,  and 
the  other  half  Presbyterian,  mutually  agreed  upon  by  both 
parties." 

4th.  "  If  any  congregation  consists  partly  of  those  who  hold 
the  Congregational  form  of  discipline,  and  partly  of  those  who 
hold  the  Presbyterian  form,  we  recommend  to  both  parties  that 
this  be  no  obstruction  to  their  uniting  in  one  church,  and 
settling  a  minister ;  and  that  in  this  case  the  church  choose  a 
standing  committee  from  the  communicants  of  said  church, 
whose  business  it  shall  be  to  call  to  account  every  member  of 
the  church  who  shall  conduct  himself  inconsistently  with  the 
laws  of  Christianity,  and  to  give  judgment  on  such  conduct. 

"  And,  if  the  person  condemned  by  their  judgment  be  a  Pres- 
byterian, he  shall  have  leave  to  appeal  to  a  Presbytery ;  if  a 
Congregationalist,  he  shall  have  liberty  to  appeal  to  the  body 
of  male  communicants  of  the  church. 

"  In  the  former  case  the  determination  of  the  Presbytery  shall 
be  final,  unless  the  church  consent  to  a  further  appeal  to  the 
Synod,  or  to  the  General  Assembly.  And  in  the  latter  case,  if 
the  party  condemned  shall  wish  for  a  trial  by  mutual  council, 
the  case  shall  be  referred  to  such  council. 

"  And,  provided  the  said  standing  committee  of  any  church 
shall  depute  one  of  themselves  to  attend  the  Presbytery,  he 
may  have  the  same  right  to  sit  and  act  in  the  Presbytery  as  a 
ruling  elder  of  the  Presbyterian  church." 

Such  was  the  Plan  of  Union  under  which  the  churches  and 
Presbyteries  of  Northeastern  Ohio  were  originally  organized. 
It  contemplated  Presbyteries  to  which  Presbyterian  ministers 
and  churches  might  belong,  and  Associations  to  which  Congre- 
gationalist ministers  might  belong. 

There  was,  however,  no  such  Congregational  Association,  and 
the  Congregationalist  ministers,  as  a  rule,  connected  themselves 
with  the  Presbytery.  Originally  the  Presbytery  of  Hartford, 
afterward  changed  to  Beaver,  covered  the  whole  territory  of 
the  Western  Reserve,  without  limit  in  the  western  direction. 
This  Presbytery  belonged  to  the  Synod  of  Pittsburgh ;  and  to 


8  lUSTOHY  OF  HURON  rRESBYTKnV. 

it  most  of  the  ministers  and  many  of  the  clmrclies,  both  Pres- 
byterian and  those  of  a  mixed  cliaracter,  belonged. 


"  PECULIAll  P]CCLESIASTICISM." 

Such  was  what  has  been  justly  called  the  "  peculiar  ecclesi- 
asticism "  of  the  Western  Reserve.  There  was  charity  in  it, 
there  was  piety,  and  a  truly  catholic  spirit.  And  yet  it  could 
hardly  be  hoped  that  the  waters  would  continue  to  run 
smoothly,  or  that  the  time  would  never  come  when  the  Con- 
necticut brethren  would  stop  to  "inquire  whether  the  milk  from 
their  Congregational  cows  might  not  be  being  churned  into 
Presbyterian  butter,"  and  "  vice  versa." 

Resulting  from  this  Plan  of  Union  there  were  peculiar  forms 
of  constitution  for  new  presbyteries,  and  of  Confession  of  Faith 
and  Covenant  for  admission  of  members  to  churches.  From 
these,  and  from  Presbyterial  By-laws,  and  from  the  Plan  of 
Union  itself  occasional  questions  of  difficulty  would  be  raised, 
especially  by  new  ministers  coming  from  other  regions  wliere 
a  different  state  of  things  existed.  The  difficulty  of  maintain- 
ing in  j^erpetuity  such  an  ecclesiasticism  became  more  and 
more  manifest,  until  there  came  the  unfortunate  excision  of 
1837,  and  the  final  discontinuance  of  the  Plan  of  Union  by 
the  happy  reunion  of  the  two  branches  of  the  Presbyterian 
Church  in  1869. 

DIFFICULTY  FIRST  FELT. 

The  danger  began  to  be  felt,  about  the  year  1812-13,  in  the 
agitation  of  the  question  of  an  ecclesiastical  organization  for 
the  Reserve.  Congregationalists  longed  for  an  Association  on 
strictly  Congregational  principles.  The  Church  vessel  was  not 
far  from  threatening  shoals  or  breakers.  Fortunately,  how- 
ever, the  ministers  felt  themselves  bound  by  the  Plan  of  Union, 
and  dreaded  the  result  of  forming  such  an  Association.  "  The 
anxious  inquiry,  What  shall  be  done?"  was  propounded 
again  and  again,  among  ministers  and  churches,  at  home,  and 


PRESBYTERY  OF  PORTAGE.  9 

in  the  Presbytery,  the  Synod,  the  General  Assembly,  and 
among  the  Congregational  churches  of  New  England. 

The  result  was  that  the  ministers  and  churches  finally  con- 
cluded to  propose  the  organization  of  a  Presbytery  in  accord- 
ance with  the  principles  of  the  Plan  of  Union. 

In  this  proposition  it  was  contemplated  that  the  ministers 
should  be  subject  to  the  rules  and  discipline  of  the  Presbyterian 
Church  without  exception,  but  that  the  churches  should  enjoy 
the  immunities  guaranteed  them  by  the  Plan  of  Union.  Thus, 
in  a  truly  Christian  spirit,  the  possible  dangers  were,  for  the 
time,  happily  tided  over ;  again  the  waters  ran  smoothly. 


GRAND  RIVER  PRESBYTERY. 

In  accordance  with  this  proposition,  and  a  request  from  the 
Presbytery  of  Hartford,  the  Synod  of  Pittsburgh,  in  October, 
1814,  directed  that  the  Presbytery  of  Hartford  be  divided  and 
a  new  presbytery  formed  from  it,  to  be  known  as  the  Presby- 
tery of  Grand  River,  and  to  include  the  whole  of  the  Western 
Reserve,  except  six  townships  in  the  southeast  corner,  and  with 
undefined  limits  on  the  west. 

The  Presbytery  of  Grand  River  was  accordingly  organized 
on  November  8,  1814.  This  was  the  beginning  of  a  new 
career  for  the  churches  of  Northern  Ohio.  In  the  main,  it  was 
a  prosperous  and  happy  career. 


PRESBYTERY  OF  PORTAGE. 

On  the  7th  of  October,  1818,  the  Synod  of  Pittsburgh  again 
drew  the  dividing  line.  The  Grand  River  Presbytery  was 
divided,  and  from  it  was  constituted  the  Presbytery  of  Portage. 
In  it  was  included  all  that  part  of  Grand  River  Presbytery 
lying  west  of  the  east  line  of  Portage  and  Cuyahoga  Counties. 
This  Presbytery  was  organized  at  Hudson,  December  8,  1818. 
The  membership  was  small.  The  Presbytery  of  Grand  River, 
from    which   it   was    formed,   had    reported   to   the    General 


10  HISTORY  OF  HURON  PRESBYTERY. 

Assembly,  in  May  previous,  but  12  ministers,  25  congregations, 
and  652  comnuinicants.  From  this  number  the  Presbytery  of 
Portage  was  talcen.  But  the  growth  must  have  been  encourag- 
ing in  the  years  immediately  following,  as  in  1825  the  Grand 
River  Presbytery  reported  15  ministers,  36  congregations,  and 
1337  communicants. 


HURON  PRESBYTERY. 

The  next  division  of  the  territory  made  was  in  the  organiza- 
tion of  the  Presbytery  of  Huron,  which  was  formed  from  the 
Presbytery  of  Portage.  And  here,  having  given  this  account 
of  the  earlier  workings  of  the  two  denominations,  we  enter 
more  directly  upon  the  history  of  Huron  Presbytery.  The 
churches  of  this  Presbytery,  and  the  Presbytery  itself,  were 
the  outgrowth  of  what  we  have  attempted  briefly  to  describe. 
The  churches  and  the  Presbytery  were  organized  upon  the 
basis  of  the  Plan  of  Union ;  and  the  whole  history  of  these 
interven.ing  years  lias  been  more  or  less  characterized  thereby. 


EARLY  PREACHING  IN  HURON  COUNTY. 

Quite  early  in  the  century  the  extreme  western  part  of  the 
Reserve  began  to  All  up  with  an  intelligent  population. 
Large  numbers  of  them  came  from  Connecticut.  The  region 
of  country  now  embraced  in  the  counties  of  Huron  and  Erie, 
and  containing  500,000  acres  of  land,  was  granted  by  the  State 
of  Connecticut  to  those  of  her  citizens,  and  they  were  many, 
who  had  suffered  losses  at  home  during  the  Revolutionary 
War.  During  this  war,  and  more  especially  in  the  years  1777 
and  1779,  the  British  soldiers  made  raids  into  Connecticut  and 
burned  a  number  of  her  towns  and  villages.  To  compensate 
those  who  thus  suffered  these  500,000  acres  of  land  were 
donated ;  and  for  this  reason  this  tract  of  country  w^as  called 
"  the  fire  lands." 

It  is  a  beautiful  land,  rich  in   soil,  and  greatly  attractive  to 


EARLY  PREACHING  IN  HURON  COUNTY.  11 

the  husbandman.  Doubtless,  in  consequence  of  these  facts — 
land  granted,  and  of  the  best  quality — settlers,  as  early  as  the 
year  1808,  began  rapidly  to  come  in  to  make  their  home  in 
these  western  wilds. 

At  this  time  the  survey  of  "  the  fire  lands  "  had  been  com- 
pleted, and  the  Indian  title  thereto  had  been  amicably  settled 
and  extinguished.  All  difficulties  in  the  way  of  possession 
having  been  removed,  one  township  after  another,  beginning 
with  the  year  1808,  was  soon  occupied  by  settlers,  and  the 
foundations  were  being  laid  for  the  towns,  villages,  and  institu- 
tions. 

Huron  County,  embracing  the  whole  "  fire  land  "  territory, 
was  created  by  act  of  the  Legislature,  February  7, 1809.  It  was 
not,  however,  to  be  immediately  organized.  In  1811  the  Legis- 
lature passed  an  act  for  its  organization,  but  owing  to  the  War 
of  1812  the  county  was  not  really  organized  until  1815.  By 
this  time  most  of  the  townships  were  already  settled.  By  the 
year  1817  all  of  them  were  settled  except  two. 

All  of  the  settlers  were  not  from  Connecticut ;  a  number  were 
from  other  States.  Yet  as  so  many  of  them  were  from  Connect- 
icut and  her  adjoining  States,  it  was  but  natural  that  the  sym- 
pathies of  the  Missionary  Society  of  Connecticut  should  follow 
them.  And  very  soon  the  ministers  of  the  Gospel  are  on  this 
ground,  ready  to  comfort  and  encourage,  and  to  lay  their  foun- 
dations for  religious  training  and  culture. 

We  find  that,  encouraged  and  sustained  by  the  Eastern 
Society  for  Missions,  the  Presbyteries  of  Grand  River  and 
Portage  were  sending  out  to  this  new  and  hopeful  region  their 
good  men  to  preach  the  Gospel,  and  families  who  had  been 
accustomed  to  it  at  the  Eastern  home  were  giving  the  message 
a  glad  welcome.  These  presbyteries  were  missionary  presby- 
teries. Their  ministers  only  waited  till  there  was  a  small  nu- 
cleus of  people  to  receive  them  and  to  be  gathered  into  organ- 
izations, when  they  came. 

The  facts  collected  show  that  Rev.  Joseph  Badger  preached 
in  the  county  as   early  as  1810,  and    that  by  the  year  1817 


12  HISTORY  OF  Jfrh'OX  PRESBYTERY. 

there  were  upon  this  territory  at  least  four  ministers — Rev. 
John  Seward,  Rev.  Joseph  Treat,  Rev.  A  Ivan  Coe,  and  Rev. 
William  Williams.  The  Rev.  Lot  B.  Sullivan  and  the  Rev. 
A.  H.  Betts  follow  within  a  year.  Before  the  organization  of 
Huron  Presb3^tery,  in  1823,  there  had  been  at  least  eleven 
churches  organized  by  these  men  within  the  limits  of  Huron 
County. 

The  fact  that  the  members  of  these  churches  were  so  gen- 
erally from  New  England  gave  them  all  more  or  less  of  a 
Congregationalist  character.  But  few  of  them  are  connected 
with  the  Presbytery  now.  Yet  the  County  of  Huron,  though 
not  originally,  nor  now,  embracing  the  whole  of  the  Presbytery, 
has  always  been  a  very  important  part  of  its  territory.  The 
name  of  the  county  became  the  name  of  the  Presbytery,  and 
the  original  County  of  Huron  is  tlie  only  one  of  the  four 
counties  that  originally  constituted  the  presbyterial  territory 
that  now  belongs  to  it. 


CHAPTER  II. 
HURON   PRESBYTERY   FROM   1823  TO  1830. 

The  Presbytery  of  Huron  was  organized  on  the  18th  of 
November,  1823,  at  Brownhelm,  in  Lorain  County,  Ohio.  It 
was  formed  from  the  Presbytery  of  Portage,  in  accordance  with 
an  act  of  the  Synod  of  Pittsburgh. 

On  the  8th  of  October,  1823,  said  Synod  resolved  :  "  That  the 
petition  of  the  Presbytery  of  Portage,  praying  for  a  division,  be 
granted,  and  that  the  following  ministers,  viz. :  Simeon  Wood- 
ruff, Alvan  Coe,  Israel  Shailer,  Lot  B.  Sullivan,  and  Alfred  H. 
Betts,  with  the  congregations  in  the  Counties  of  Cuyahoga, 
Medina,  Lorain,  and  Huron,  be  erected  into  a  new  presbytery, 
to  be  called  by  the  name  of  the  Presbytery  of  Huron,  to  meet  at 
Brownhelm  on  the  third  Tuesday  of  November,  to  be  opened 
with  a  sermon  by  the  Rev.  Simeon  Woodruff,  who  is  to  preside 
until  a  moderator  be  chosen,  or  by  the  next  senior  member  in 
case  of  his  absence." 

Accordingly,  at  the  time  named,  and  the  place,  the  Presbytery 
was  organized. 

Only  three  of  the  five  ministers  named  were  present,  namely — 
Israel  Shailer,  Lot  B.  Sullivan,  and  Alfred  H.  Betts. 

The  churches  in  Brownhelm,  Florence,  Eldridge,  Cleveland, 
Euclid,  Strongville,  Wakeman,  Fitchville,  Clarksfield,  Troy, 
Milan,  and  Brecksville  were  represented  by  delegates.  Deacons 
S.  James,  John  Beardsly,  N.  Chapman,  E.  Taylor,  I.  D.  Crocker, 
G.  Whitney,  B.  S.  Hendrick,  R.  Palmer,  S.  Husted,  S.  B.  Fitch, 
L.  Scott,  and  J.  Wait. 

It  will  be  seen  that  only  a  part  of  the  churches  were  repre- 
sented. Only  six  of  the  eleven  already  organized  in  Huron 
County  had  a  commissioner  present ;  and  it  is  probable  that  a 
similar  fact  existed  regarding  the  other  counties. 

13 


14  HISTORY  OF  HURON  PRESBYTER V. 

The  Rev.  Simeon  Woodruff  being  absent,  Rev.  Israel  Shailer, 
the  next  Senior  member,  acted  as  moderator,  and,  presumably, 
preached  the  sermon. 

Ministers  Lot  B.  Sullivan  and  Israel  Shailer,  and  also  Rev. 
Caleb  Pitkin — who,  being  present  from  the  Presbytery  of 
Portage,  had  been  invited  to  sit  as  a  corresponding  member — 
and  delegates  James  and  Taylor,  were  appointed  a  Committee 
on  Bills  and  Overtures.  The  special  duty  of  this  Committee 
was  to  prepare  and  present  a  Constitution,  with  rules  and  form 
of  Covenant,  for  the  Presbytery  and  churches. 

On  the  following  day,  after  Presbytery  had  opened  at  9  o'clock 
A.  M.,  this  Committee  made  its  report.  After  "  expressing  their 
approbation  in  general  of  the  Confession  of  Faith  and  dis- 
cipline of  the  General  Assembly  of  the  Presbyterian  Church," 
they  proceed  to  say :  "  That  yet,  owing  to  their  peculiar  situa- 
tion, they  deem  it  advisable  that  the  Presbytery  adopt  a  Con- 
stitution." 

They  then  present  a  Constitution,  consisting  of  twenty-three 
articles,  to  which  were  added  eigliteen  articles  for  the  regulation 
of  the  Presbytery  while  in  session,  and  a  Confession  of  Faith, 
and  Covenant,  and  articles  of  practice  for  the  churches  under 
their  care.  The  report,  with  all  these  articles,  was  adopted, 
and  became  the  law  for  the  Presbytery  and  the  churches. 


THE  CONSTITUTION. 

The  first  article  provides  for  the  two  regular  meetings  of  the 
body  in  each  year,  and  the  second  designates  the  offices  that 
shall  be  filled  in  the  Presbytery  and  the  Standing  Committee, 
while  the  third  provides  for  special  meetings  that  may  be  called. 
The  document  then  proceeds  to  say  that  "  the  licensing  of 
candidates,  the  ordination  and  installation  of  ministers  over, 
and  dismissing  them  from,  the  churches  shall  be  by  the  Presby- 
tery." To  protect  the  churches  during  the  recesses  of  the  body, 
and  at  the  same  time  neither  to  hinder  them  from  securing 
suitable  ministerial  services  nor  to  put  incoming  ministers  to 


THE  CONSTITUTION.  15 

unreasonable  trouble,  the  Standing  Committee  was  appointed. 
This  Committee  was  to  consist  of  not  less  than  two  nor  more 
than  six  ministers.  Their  dut}^  was  to  examine  the  credentials 
of  ministers  and  licentiates  who  might  desire  to  labor  in  any 
of  the  churches,  and,  U2:)on  being  satisfied  respecting  their 
qualifications  to  preach  the  gospel,  they  were  to  recommend 
them  to  the  churches.  Their  recommendation,  however,  was 
onl}'  designed  to  extend  to  the  next  stated  meeting  of  Pres- 
bytery. 

Licentiates  under  the  care  of  the  Presbytery  were  declared 
to  be  amenable  to  it  for  their  preaching  and  their  moral 
conduct.  And  when  one  of  them  desired  to  itinerate  without 
its  bounds,  he  was  required  to  apply  to  the  body  for  permission, 
or,  in  the  recess,  to  the  Standing  Committee.  The  permission 
was  to  specify  the  time  of  absence,  and  if  given  by  the  Com- 
mittee was  to  be  signed  b}^  two  of  them,  who  were  to  report 
the  fact  to  the  Stated  Clerk.  Also,  when  a  licentiate,  bearing 
such  permission,  should  desire  to  itinerate  within  the  limits 
of  any  other  presbytery  or  association,  he  was  directed  to 
exhibit  his  credentials  to  the  proper  authorities  in  such 
presbytery  or  association,  that  he  might  in  proper  manner 
be  commended  to  the  churches.  And  when  the  removal  was 
intended  to  be  permanent  it  was  to  be  by  a  letter  of  dismissal 
from  the  one  body  to  the  other. 

Article  X  declares :  "  That  when  any  minister  proposes  to 
join  this  Presbytery  it  shall  be  the  duty  of  the  Presbytery  to 
satisf}^  themselves  respecting  his  religious  sentiments  and 
conduct,  and  admit  or  reject  as  they  shall  deem  expedient. 
The  Presbytery  shall  also  satisfy  themselves  respecting  the 
religious  sentiments  and  Christian  practice  of  any  church 
before  admitting  it  into  this  body." 

The  eleventh  article  requires  ministers,  in  organizing 
churches,  to  instruct  them  respecting  the  rules  of  the  Pres- 
bytery and  the  importance  of  churches  being  connected  with 
some  ecclesiastical  body.     And  it  was  declared  that  churches 


16  III  STORY  OF  HURON  FRESH  VTERV. 

formed  by  the  ministers  of  the  Presbytery,  and  witliiii  its 
limits,  were  to  be  considered  as  under  its  care. 

It  was,  however,  provided  that  individual  ministers  and 
churches  belonging  to  the  Presbytery  might  adopt  either  the 
Congregational  or  the  Presbyterian  form  of  government  and 
discipline.  When  churches  which  adopted  the  Congregational 
form  had  decided  a  case  of  discipline,  and  either  party  was 
aggrieved,  appeal  might  be  made  to  the  Presbytery.  Yet  the 
authority  of  the  Presbytery  only  extended  to  the  churches,  and 
not  to  the  individual  members.  The  appeal  could  not  be 
carried  to  the  General  Assembly  or  to  the  Synod. 

The  Presbytery  was  declared  to  be  the  "  standing  council 
of  the  churches  under  its  care,  to  whom  all  cases  of  difficulty, 
in  which  counsel  is  desired,  shall  be  referred,  unless  permission 
be  obtained  from  the  Presbytery  to  call  a  select  council."  In 
all  cases  of  trial  the  evidence  on  both  sides  was  to  be  fairly 
taken  and  recorded  by  the  judicatory,  and  then,  in  cases  of 
appeal,  this  evidence  was  to  be  presented  to  the  superior 
judicatory  as  the  ground  of  decision. 

The  aim  of  the  Presbytery  in  its  Constitution  was  to  main- 
tain a  becoming  authority  over  its  ministers  and  churches.  It 
was  the  predominant  idea  in  the  body  that  the  churches  had 
the  oversight  of  their  members,  and  therefore  both  minister 
and  people  might  be  Congregationalist.  But  so  far  as  the 
body  at  large  was  concerned,  the  Presbytery  had  the  oversight 
of  both  churches  and  ministers. 

It  was  therefore  declared  that  no  church  belonging  to  the 
body  should  give  a  call  for  settlement  to  any  minister  until  he 
had  been  approved  by  the  Presbytery  or  by  two  of  the  Stand- 
ing Committee ;  and  that  no  candidate  for  the  ministry  could 
be  ordained  by  the  Presbytery  until  he  had  put  himself  under 
its  care,  nor  could  a  minister  be  installed  till  he  had  joined  the 
body. 

Every  church  belonging  to  the  Presbytery  was  expected  to 
be  represented  in  its  meetings  by  one  delegate,  and  their 
church  records  were  required  to  be  presented  to  the  Presbytery 


THE  CONSTITUTION.  17 

each  year  for  examination.  A  yearly  report  was  also  expected 
from  all  regarding  revivals,  family  prayer,  the  religious  in- 
struction of  children,  the  observance  of  the  Sabbath,  and 
attendance  on  public  worship. 

Article  XVIII  makes  the  interesting  provision  that  at  each 
stated  meeting  any  religious  question  of  importance,  upon  which 
any  member  may  want  light,  shall  be  considered.  A  preacher 
and  a  substitute  were  to  be  appointed  to  deliver  a  discourse  at 
the  next  meeting,  and  one  or  more  theological  questions,  or 
passages  of  Scripture,  were  at  each  stated  meeting  to  be  adopted 
for  discussion  at  the  next.  This  article  was  nullified  in  1830, 
but  out  of  it  originated  the  "  Ministers'  Meeting,''  which  was 
organized  in  1837. 

After  the  usual  provision  for  devotional  exercises  in  connec- 
tion with  the  Presbyterial  meetings,  the  last  two  articles  of  this 
Constitution  require  that  "  these  regulations  shall  be  read  to 
the  Presbytery  annually,"  and  that  all  additions  thereto  and 
alterations  shall  be  proposed  at  a  stated  meeting  at  least  four 
months  before  made,  and  that  they  shall  not  be  adopted 
without  the  concurrence  of  two-thirds  of  the  members  present ; 
but  the  twelfth  article,  allowing  individual  ministers  and 
churches  to  adopt  either  the  Congregational  or  the  Presbyterian 
form  of  government  and  discipline,  "  should  never  be  affected  by 
any  additions  or  alterations  which  these  regulations  may  receive." 

After  the  adoption  of  these  clear  and  comprehensive  articles 
of  the  Constitution,  the  Presbytery  proceeded  next  to  adopt  the 
eighteen  articles  of  parliamentary  rules  and  requirements  to  be 
observed  by  the  officers  and  members  while  in  session.  It  is 
not  deemed  important  that  these  articles  should  be  here  re- 
corded. Much  more  important,  and  essential  to  a  true  history 
of  the  Presbytery,  is  the  Confession  of  Faith  and  Covenant  which 
were  to  be  used  by  the  churches  in  the  reception  of  new  mem- 
bers, and  the  Articles  of  Practice  which  were  to  be  observed  by 
churches  and  members  in  their  general  life.  These  should  be 
given  just  as  they  were  adopted  by  the  Presbytery  and  as  they 
were  to  be  addressed  to  the  candidate  for  church  membership. 
2 


18  HISTOnV  OF  HURON  PRESBVTERV. 

CONFESSION  OF  FAITH. 

Article  I. — "  You  believe  that  there  is  one  God,  the  Creator, 
Preserver,  and  Governor  of  all  things, — that  He  is  self-existent, 
independent,  unchangeable,  infinite  in  mercy,  wisdom,  power, 
holiness,  justice,  goodness,  and  truth?" 

Article  II. — "  You  believe  that  the  Scriptures  of  the  Old  and 
New  Testaments  were  given  by  inspiration  of  God, — that  they 
contain  a  complete  and  liarmonious  system  of  divine  truth, 
and  are  the  only  perfect  rule  of  religious  faith  and  practice  ?  " 

Article  III — "  You  believe  that  there  are  three  persons  in 
the  Godhead,  the  Father,  the  Son,  and  the  Holy  Ghost, — that 
these  three  are  in  essence  One,  and  in  all  divine  perfections 
equal?" 

Article  IV\ — "  You  believe  that  God  governs  all  things  ac- 
cording to  His  eternal,  and  infinitely  wise,  purpose,  so  as  to 
render  them  conducive  to  His  own  glory  and  the  greatest  good 
of  the  universe,  and  in  perfect  consistency  with  His  hatred  of 
sin,  the  liberty  of  man,  and  the  importance  of  the  use  of 
means  ?  " 

Article  V. — "  You  believe  that  God  at  first  created  man  in 
His  own  moral  image,  consisting  in  righteousness  and  true  holi- 
ness,— that  he  fell  from  that  holy  and  happy  estate  by  sinning 
against  God ;  and  that  since  the  fall  of  Adam  all  mankind 
come  into  the  world  with  a  disposition  entirely  sinful  ?  " 

Article  VI. — "  You  believe  that,  with  reference  to  the  fall  of 
man,  God  did  from  eternity  appoint  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  His 
only  and  well-beloved  Son,  Mediator,  who  assumed  our  nature 
and  made  atonement  for  sin, — that  God  can  now  consistently 
exercise  mercy  toward  sinners,  and  that  He  will  pardon  all 
those  who  repent  and  believe  the  Gospel  ?  " 

Article  VII. — "  You  believe  that  as  all  men,  in  their  natural 
state,  reject  Christ,  God  did,  from  eternity,  choose  some  of  the 
human  race  to  salvation,  through  sanctification  of  the  Spirit 
and  belief  of  the  truth ;  and  that  all  those  whom  He  has  thus 
chosen  He  will  renew  and  sanctify  in  this  life,  and  keep  them 


CONFESSION  OF  FAITH.  19 

by  His  power  through  faith  unto  salvation ;  and  that  all  those 
whom  He  has  not  thus  elected  are  left  to  pursue  their  own 
chosen  way,  and  suffer  the  punishment  of  their  sins  ?  " 

Article  VIII. — "  You  believe  that  Christians  are  justified 
freely  by  grace  through  faith,  and  that,  although  the}^  are  thus 
freely  justified,  still,  the  law  of  God,  as  a  rule  of  duty,  remains 
in  full  force,  and  that  all  men  are  under  obligations  perfectly 
to  obey  it  ?  " 

Article  IX. — "  You  believe  that  personal  holiness  is  the  cer- 
tain effect  of  the  renewing  operations  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  and 
affords  to  believers  the  only  Scriptural  evidence  of  their  justifi- 
cation and  title  to  the  heavenly  inheritance  ?  " 

Article  X. — "  You  believe  that  men  are  free  and  voluntary  in 
all  their  conduct,  that  the  requirements  of  God  are  perfectly 
reasonable,  and  that  sinners  are  inexcusable  for  impenitence 
and  unbelief?  " 

Article  XI. — "  You  believe  that  the  visible  Church  of  Christ 
consists  of  visible  saints,  who  publicly  profess  their  faith  in 
Him,  and  that  baptized  children  so  belong  to  the  Church  as  to 
be  under  its  care  and  instruction  ?  " 

Article  XII. — "  You  believe  in  the  divine  appointment  of  the 
Christian  Sabbath  and  of  the  sacraments  of  the  New  Testa- 
ment, Baptism  and  the  Lord's  Supper,  which  all  are  under 
obligation,  in  the  exercise  of  faith,  to  observe ;  and  that  it  is 
the  duty  of  parents  to  dedicate  their  children  to  God  in  bap- 
tism, and  train  them  up  in  the  nurture  and  admonition  of  the 
Lord?" 

Article  XIII. — "  You  believe  that  the  soul  is  immortal,  and 
that  at  the  last  day  Christ  will  raise  the  dead  and  judge  the 
world  in  righteousness;  that  all  who  die  impenitent  will 
go  away  into  endless  punishment,  and  the  righteous  be  received 
in  heaven  to  enjoy  eternal  felicity? " 

These  questions  being  asked  by  the  minister  and  being 
answered  in  the  afiirmative  by  the  candidate,  then  followed — 


20  HISTORY  OF  HURON  PRESBYTERY. 

THE  COVENANT. 

"  You,  viewing  yourselves  subjects  of  special  divine  grace, 
do  now,  in  the  presence  of  God,  angels,  and  men,  renounce  the 
service  of  sin  and  choose  the  Lord  Jehovah  to  be  your  God 
and  eternal  portion,  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  to  be  your  only 
Saviour,  and  the  Holy  Ghost  to  be  your  Sanctifier  and  Com- 
forter? You  promise  to  take  God's  holy  AVord  for  your  direc- 
tor}^  and  by  divine  grace  to  comply  with  all  its  injunctions? 
You  solemnly  engage  duly  to  observe  all  the  ordinances  of  the 
gospel  ?  You  promise  to  encourage  family  prayer  and  instruc- 
tion ;  the  seasonable  dedication  of  children  to  God  in  baptism 
and  to  govern  and  restrain  from  vicious  practices  and  company 
all  who  may  be  under  your  care  ?  You  promise  to  maintain 
daily  secret  prayer,  statedly  to  attend  on  the  Lord's  Supper, 
and  to  remember  the  Sabbath  Day  to  keep  it  holy?  You 
promise  to  refrain  from  unnecessarily  associating  with  the 
vicious  and  from  vain  conversation ;  and,  finally,  to  watch 
over  the  members  of  the  Church,  and,  if  necessary,  to  reprove 
them  with  Christian  meekness  and  brotherly  love ;  to  submit 
to  the  watch  and  discipline  of  this  Church,  endeavoring  in  all 
things  to  promote  its  prosperity  and  to  walk  worthy  of  the 
vocation  wherewith  you  are  called  ? 

"  Relying  on  divine  grace,  thus  you  covenant  with  God  and 
this  Church  ?  " 

The  candidate  for  membership  having  assented  to  tliis 
solemn  covenant,  the  members  of  the  Church  were  expected 
to  indicate  their  reception  of  such  candidate  in  the  following 
manner : — 

"  We,  then,  the  members  of  this  Church,  do  cordially  receive 
you  into  our  communion  and  fellowship.  We  welcome  you  as 
members  of  the  body  of  Christ,  and  as  fellow-travelers  to  His 
rest.  We  promise,  by  the  grace  of  God,  to  watch  over  you  with 
meekness  and  love,  and,  by  counsel  and  prayer,  to  help  you 
forward  in  the  way  to  heaven.  And  we  pray  God  that  we  may 
live  together  as  brethren,  glorify  Him  on  earth,  and  finally 


ARTICLES  OF  PRACTICE.  21 

join  the  Church  triumphant  in  heaven,  there  to  unite  in  the 
praise  of  God  and  the  Lamb." 

The  church  was  to  be  led  in  this,  their  part  of  the  covenant,  by 
the  minister ;  and  upon  its  conclusion  the  candidates  covenant- 
ing were  recognized  as  received  into  full  communion.  In  view 
of  such  solemn  and  significant  covenant  we  can  well  imagine 
that  many  a  sacred  scene  has  been  witnessed  in  the  churches 
of  this  Presbytery. 

The  profession  of  faith  in  Jesus  was  a  thing  not  lightly  to  be 
made.  The  entrance  to  the  Church  was  to  be  kept  sacred ;  and 
when  the  truly  regenerate  were  read}^  to  take  this  covenant, 
after  making  thoughtfully  the  preceding  confession  of  their 
faith  in  the  great  fundamental  and  essential  truths  of  God's 
Word ;  and  when  such  regenerate  ones,  and  the  church,  as  led 
solemnly  by  the  faithful  minister,  would  enter  into  such  a 
covenant,  there  must  often  have  been  the  realized  presence  of 
the  living  God ;  and  angels  must  have  hovered  near,  while  all 
hearts  were  moved  to  a  rich  sense  of  the  glory  of  Christ  and 
the  power  of  saving  grace. 


ARTICLES  OF  PRACTICE. 

These  articles  were  designed  as  a  sort  of  Constitution  for  the 
individual  churches,  defining  the  ruling  powers  in  the  church 
and  their  duties,  the  steps  to  be  taken  in  the  reception  of. 
members,  and  the  treatment  of  Christians  who  were  members 
of  other  churches,  and  the  general  duties  of  those  who  were 
members  of  the  local  church  in  the  daily  Christian  life. 

These  articles  are  as  follows : — 

Article  I. — "  This  church  shall  have  a  Standing  Committee, 
chosen  from  among  their  number,  consisting  of  not  less  than 
two  and  not  more  than  seven,  whose  duty  it  shall  be  to  take 
cognizance  of  public  offenses,  and  to  manage  the  prudential 
concerns  of  the  church." 

Article  II. — "  All  persons  applying  for  admission  into  this 
church,  except  by  letter  from  sister  churches,  shall  be  examined 


22  HISTORY  OF  HURON  PRESBYTERY. 

in  the  presence  of  the  church,  and  if  they  give  satisfactory 
evidence  of  Christian  character,  they  shall,  in  ordinary  cases,  be 
publicly  propounded  at  least  two  weeks  before  their  reception." 

This  article  originally,  and  until  1830,  required  the  same 
process  whether  the  applicant  came  by  letter  or  otherwise,  and 
it  must  have  been  so  that  both  this  and  the  preceding  article 
were  designed  especially  for  churches  adopting  the  Congrega- 
tional form  of  government.  A  Presbyterian  church  would 
have  its  bench  of  elders,  before  whom  offenses  would  be  tried, 
and  by  whom  candidates  for  membership  would  be  examined. 

Article  III. — "  This  church  deem  it  inconsistent  with  duty  to 
admit  members  of  distant  churches  j-esiding  in  this  vicinity  to 
occasional  communion,  in  ordinary  cases,  for  a  longer  period 
than  one  year." 

This  article  w^as  designed  to  meet  the  unreasonableness  of 
those  church  members  who  might  come  into  a  community  and 
neglect  or  refuse  to  unite  with  the  church  for  years,  or  per- 
petually, and  who  yet  might  desire  to  participate  in  an  occa- 
sional communion. 

Article  IV. — "  This  church  consider  it  the  duty  of  male 
heads  of  families,  and,  when  circumstances  do  not  render  it 
improper,  for  females,  daily  to  read  the  Scriptures  and  pray  in 
their  families.  They  also  recommend  to  heads  of  families  that 
singing  praises  to  God,  when  it  can  be  performed  with  pro- 
priety, be  considered  a  part  of  family  worship." 

Article  V. — "  This  church  consider  it  an  important  dut}'  of 
heads  of  families  to  instruct  and  govern  their  children,  and  all 
under  their  care,  agreeably  to  the  AVord  of  God,  endeavoring 
to  restrain  them  from  evil  practices  and  from  vicious  company, 
and  directing  them,  by  parental  authority,  to  attend,  whenever 
circumstances  will  permit,  catechetical  lectures  appointed  by 
the  pastor  of  the  church." 

Article  VI. — "  This  church  consider  it  their  duty  to  pay 
special  attention  to  their  baptized  children,  and  agree  that 
parents  and  others,  who  are  members  of  this  church,  having 
the  more  innnediate  care  of  such  children,  shall  be  accountable 


DESIGN,    CHARACTER,  AND  EFFECT.  23 

to  the  church  for  their  religious  instruction  and  government 
so  long  as  they  continue  members  of  their  families,  and  for 
any  evident  neglect  of  these  duties  shall  be  liable  to  discipline, 
as  for  any  offense  whatever." 

Article  VII. — "  This  church  consider  the  collecting  of  hay  or 
grain  on  the  Sabbath,  attending  to  any  part  of  the  business  of 
making  sugar,  the  visiting  of  friends,  except  in  cases  of  sick- 
ness, and  the  prosecution  of  journeys  on  that  day,  without 
special  necessity,  a  violation  of  Christian  duty." 

The  evil  against  which  this  last  article  was  directed  will  very 
readily  suggest  itself  to  a  thoughtful  mind.  We  have  but  to 
think  of  the  new  country,  the  harvest  or  the  sugar-making 
season,  and  the  desire  for  social  life  and  conversation,  and  we 
see  an  immense  temptation  against  which  these  Church  Fathers 
would  guard  the  churches. 


DESIGN,  CHARACTER,  AND  EFFECT. 

It  is  evident,  as  Dr.  Alfred  Newton  has  said,  that  this 
Constitution,  with  all  these  articles  of  rule  and  doctrine, 
covenant  and  duty,  "  was  not  designed  to  conflict  with  the 
Confession  of  Faith"  of  the  General  Assembly,  "but  was 
rather  a  supplement  to  that  article."  It  resulted  from  the 
Plan  of  Union,  and  the  desire  to  keep  the  churches  with 
differing  denominational  tendencies  in  harmony.  It  gave 
liberty  to  individual  ministers  and  churches,  while  belonging 
to  the  Presbytery  and  subject  to  its  control,  to  choose  their 
own  mode  of  government  and  discipline.  It  Avas  in  harmony 
with  the  action  of  the  General  Assembly  and  the  General 
Association. 

The  Synod  of  Pittsburgh,  when  in  session,  reviewed  the  whole, 
and  at  the  time  raised  no  objection. 

And,  on  the  whole,  there  was  nothing  in  these  articles  that 
could  be  regarded  as  denominationally  objectionable  except 
what  was  clearly  implied  in  the  "  Plan  of  Union  "  itself. 

Besides,  these  brethren  showed  themselves,  in  the  adoption 


24  HISTOnV  OF  HURON  PRESBYTERY. 

of  their  Constitution,  Covenant,  and  Confession,  to  be  extremely 
particular  to  guard  against  any  error  in  doctrine  or  practice, 
either  in  the  Presbytery  or  in  the  churches. 

Ministers  could  not  be  made  without  thorough  examination 
upon  both  doctrine  and  conduct.  And  they  could  neither 
come  nor  go  without  proper  credentials.  They  must  become 
subject  to  the  Presbytery  before  the}'-  could  receive  a  call  to 
one  of  the  pastorates,  and  the  churches  must  acknowledge  the 
Presbytery  before  they  could  be  regarded  as  under  its  care. 
So  far,  if  no  farther,  there  was  pretty  good  Presbyterianism. 
In  the  churches  themselves  there  was  such  liberty  that  there 
might  be  either  good  Presbyterianism,  or  just  as  good  Congre- 
gationalism. So  far  as  the  doctrines  expressed  in  the  Con- 
fession of  Faith  were  concerned,  they  were  unquestionably 
sound,  and  most  richly  and  beautifully  orthodox. 

On  the  existence  and  nature  of  God,  the  Trinity,  the 
creation  and  the  Divine  government,  the  fall  and  depravity 
of  man,  the  Divinity  and  mediatorship  of  Christ,  the  election  of 
grace,  justification  by  faith,  the  atonement  and  the  permanency 
of  Christian  character,  the  freedom  of  the  will  and  the  work 
of  the  Holy  Ghost,  the  Church  and  the  Sacraments,  and  on  the 
Sabbath  and  the  final  judgment,  this  Confession  of  Faith 
which  the  Huron  Presbytery  placed  in  the  hands  of  these 
churches,  whether  Congregational  or  Presbyterian,  was  so 
clear  and  so  orthodox  that  the  Westminster  Confession  could 
not  find  much  occasion  for  casting  stones. 

And  when  we  read  the  Covenant  which  the  new  communi- 
cant was  expected  to  make,  along  with  the  confession  of  his 
faith  in  Jesus,  how  strong,  how  beautiful  and  solemn  it  is  ! 
And  then  when  we  see  how  clearly  the  relation  of  baptized 
children  to  the  church  is  presented,  and  the  duty  of  the 
parents  to  their  households,  and  the  duty  of  the  church  to 
both  parents  and  children,  we  are  apt  to  exclaim,  as  under  a 
sacred  influence,  "  Would  that  we  had  a  little  more  of  this 
doctrine  and  covenant  and  practice  now  !  " 

And  yet  it  could  hardly  be  expected  to  be  otherwise  than 


OTHER  BUSINESS.  25 

that  ministers  and  people,  coming  from  regions  where  there 
existed  no  such  condition  of  things  and  no  such  Constitution, 
other  than  the  Confession  of  Faith  and  the  Book  of  Discipline 
of  the  General  Assembly,  would  raise  the  question  ;  "  How  far 
has  the  recognized  Constitution  of  the  General  Assembly 
authority  in  this  Presbytery  and  in  these  churches  ?  "  Some 
allowance  ought  to  be  made  for  early  training  and  for  human 
nature. 

OTHER  BUSINESS. 

In  addition  to  adopting  this  Constitution  and  Covenant, 
which  was  the  main  work  of  the  first  meeting  of  the  Presby- 
tery, the  body  received  the  certificate  of  the  Rev.  Stephen  J, 
Bradstreet,  from  the  Presbytery  of  Londonderry,  desiring  to 
become  a  member.  Upon  the  testimonial  of  his  good  standing 
as  a  minister,  the  Presbytery  proceeded  to  examine  him  upon 
his  religious  experience  and  sentiments  and  his  knowledge 
of  theology,  and  being  satisfied  they  welcomed  him  as  a 
member. 

The  Rev.  Lot  B.  Sullivan  was  then  chosen  the  first  stated 
clerk  of  the  Presbytery. 

Finally,  Rev.  Stephen  J.  Bradstreet,  just  received,  and  Rev. 
Alfred  Betts  were  appointed  to  write  for  the  next  meeting  upon 
the  question,  "  What  does  the  Holy  Ghost  do  for  those  who 
are  converted  that  He  does  not  do  for  those  who  are  not  don- 
verted?" 

The  Rev.  Messrs.  Shailer  and  Sullivan  were  appointed  to 
write  for  the  same  meeting  on  the  question,  "  What  is  meant 
by  the  word  '  creation  '  in  Rom.  viii,  19-23  ?  " 

Also,  the  Revs.  Woodruff  and  Betts  were  appointed  to  write 
on  the  question,  "  Is  it  consistent  with  the  principles  of  religion 
for  professors  to  engage  in  lawsuits  with  one  another  ?  " 

These  appointments  were  made  in  accordance  with  the 
eighteentli  article  of  the  Constitution,  which  requires  that  one 
or  more  theological  questions  or  passages  of  Scripture  should 
be  appointed  for  discussion  at  each  stated  meeting. 


26  HISTORY  OF  HURON  PRESBYTERY. 

The  Presbytery  of  Huron  thus  began,  at  its  first  meeting,  an 
interesting  custom  which  has  characterized  it  through  the 
greater  part  of  its  history — the  regular  discussion  of  important 
questions — a  custom  interesting  and  valuable  to  ministers,  and 
surely  beneficial  to  the  churches,  though  not  present  at  the 
discussions.  Thus  ended  the  first  meeting  of  the  newly  organ- 
ized Presbytery.  The  foundations  had  been  laid,  and  laid 
mainly  on  the  rock  of  God's  truth. 


MEETINGS  OF  1824. 

At  the  meeting  of  November  18,  19,  1823,  the  Presbytery 
was  fairly  organized.  The  next  stated  meeting  was  held  at 
Dover,  in  Cuyahoga  County,  February  17,  1824. 

At  this  meeting  Mr.  John  McCrea,  a  licentiate  from  the 
Presbytery  of  Grand  River,  was  received,  ordained  to  the  min- 
istry, and  installed  pastor  over  the  church  of  Dover. 

Rev.  Lot  B.  Sullivan  was  released  from  the  pastorate  of  the 
Union  Presbyterian  Society  in  Lyme  and  vicinity,  for  want  of 
support. 

After  hearing  the  reports  from  the  churches,  such  a  sense  of 
the  low  state  of  religion  in  the  Presbytery  prevailed  that  the 
29th  of  April  following  was  recommended  to  the  churches  to 
be  observed  as  a  day  of  fasting,  humiliation,  and  prayer.  And 
at  the  following  meeting,  August  17th,  the  question  was  raised, 
"May  not  valuable  improvement  be  made  in  the  mode  of 
preaching  in  this  i)art  of  the  country,  and  if  so,  what  improve- 
ment ?  "  The  ministers  Woodruff  and  Sullivan  were  appointed 
to  write  upon  it. 

In  addition  to  this,  at  the  same  meeting,  after  having  dis- 
cussed the  questions,  "  Is  it  justifiable,  under  any  circum- 
stances, for  a  member  of  a  church  to  permit  balls  to  be  attended 
in  his  house  ?  "  and,  "  Why  do  those  who  appear  to  be  Chris- 
tians come  to  such  different  conclusions  in  their  researches  of 
the  Scriptures?"  two  of  the  brethren  were  appointed  to  write 
on  the  question  :  "  Is  there  a  difference  between  redemption 
and  atonement?    If  so,  in  what  does  it  consist?" 


WESTERN  RESERVE  COLLEGE.  27 

WESTERN  RESERVE  COLLEGE. 

At  the  meeting  of  February  17th  an  interest  was  developed 
in  the  effort,  which  had  its  beginning  about  the  year  1822,  to 
establish  a  collegiate  institution  on  the  Western  Reserve.  The 
Presbyteries  of  Portage  and  Grand  River  had  already  had  the 
matter  before  them,  and  had  been  preparing  the  way  for  such 
an  institution.  Indeed,  the  foreshadowing  of  the  coming  event 
may  be  seen  so  far  back  as  April  IG,  1803,  when  the  Legislature 
of  Ohio  passed  an  act  "  incorporating  the  Trustees  of  the  Erie 
Literary  Society."  From  that  time  onward,  one  step  after  an- 
other had  been  taken  in  the  matter  of  higher  education,  until 
the  question  of  locating  and  founding  a  college  came  fairly 
before  the  Presbyteries. 

The  two  Presbyteries  above  named  had  alread}^  on  hand 
something  of  an  "  Educational  Fund,"  and  the  Presbytery  of 
Huron,  at  their  meeting  in  February,  1824,  received  from  Rev. 
Mr.  Fenn,  clerk  of  the  Board  of  Managers  of  this  Fund,  a  com- 
munication requesting  the  appointment  of  two  ministers  and 
two  laymen  to  meet  with  the  said  Board,  in  Aurora,  on  the 
first  Wednesday  of  June,  to  confer  with  the  commissioners 
from  the  other  two  Presbj^teries  with  reference  to  the  best 
course  to  be  pursued  by  the  Managers  of  "the  Fund." 

In  compliance  with  this  request,  Messrs.  Woodruff  and  Brad- 
street,  ministers,  and  Harmon  Kingsburrj^  and  Elisha  Taylor, 
laymen,  were  appointed  on  this  commission. 

They  reported  at  the  stated  meeting,  August  17, 1824.  Their 
report  was  a  recommendation  from  the  Convention  held  in 
Aurora,  to  attempt  to  establish  a  collegiate  institution,  and  a 
request  that  the  Presbytery  choose  two  ministers  and  two  lay- 
men for  trustees,  and  also  two  ministers  and  two  laymen  to 
assist  commissioners  from  the  other  two  Presbyteries  in  locating 
the  institution.  In  accordance  with  this  report  and  request, 
the  Presbytery  elected  for  trustees  Messrs.  Woodruff  and  Brad- 
street,  ministers,  and  Henry  Brown  and  Harmon  Kingsburry, 
laymen.      For  commissioners  of  location  they  elected  Revs. 


28  HISTORY  OF  HURON  PRESBYTERY. 

A.  H.  Betts  and  Lot  B.  Sullivan,  with  laymen  Samuel  Coles 
and  David  Gibbs. 

The  institution  was  located  at  Hudson,  Portage  County,  and 
was  chartered  in  182(5  under  the  name  of  "  Westeim  Reserve 
College." 

Most  of  the  Trustees  were  members  of  the  three  Presbyteries 
then  in  existence.  "  It  had  their  hearty  co-operation,  depended 
on  them  mainly  for  pecuniary  assistance,  wdiile  it  aimed  to 
provide  the  means  of  a  thorough  education  for  young  men, 
particularly  those  who  sought  the  ministry." 

"  Yet  the  College  had  no  organic  connection  with  Presbytery, 
or  Association,  or  any  other  ecclesiastical  body ;  but  stood  inde- 
pendent and  alone." 

Huron  Presbytery  has  always  felt  a  deep  interest  in  this 
Institution.  At  various  times  it  has  contributed,  through  its 
churches,  to  its  financial  support.  In  1849,  under  special  effort, 
and  through  the  agency  of  Rev.  Alfred  New^ton,  there  was  con- 
tributed about  $9000. 

1825. 

On  the  12th  of  January,  1825,  a  special  meeting  of  Pres- 
bytery was  held  at  Strongville  to  install  Rev.  Simeon  Woodruff, 
who  had  been  called  to  the  pastorate  of  that  church. 

From  this  year  Presbytery  began  to  grow,  not  only  in  the 
increase  of  ministers,  but  also  of  churches. 

During  the  first  meeting  of  the  body  Rev.  Stephen  Bradstreet 
had  been  added  to  the  roll,  and  at  the  first  meeting  in  1824 
Mr.  John  McCrea  had  been  received  as  a  licentiate,  and  his 
name  was  added  to  the  roll  by  his  ordination  to  the  ministry. 

Now,  in  1825,  the  church  of  New  Haven,  which  had  been 
organized  April  16,  1824,  requested  to  be  taken  under  care  o^ 
the  Presbytery. 

It  seems,  however,  that  the  Confession  of  Faith  and  Covenant 
of  this  church  needed  some  doctoring  before  it  would  conform 
to  the  Articles  of  Organization  of  the  Presbytery,  and  a  com- 
mittee of  six  brethren  were  appointed  to  visit  the  church  and 


SYNOD   OF   WESTERN  RESERVE.  29 

endeavor  to  convince  the  people  of  the  expediency  of  making 
some  change. 

There  was  no  full  report  of  this  committee,  so  far  as  indicated 
by  the  records,  until  the  20th  of  February,  1827,  at  which 
time  the  church  was  received,  thus  showing  that  the  Committee 
had  been  successful. 

A  church  was  also,  during  this  year,  organized  at  Elyria. 
Its  articles  of  Confession  of  Faith  and  Covenant  were  found  in 
order,  and  the  church  was  received  under  Presbyterial  care.  It 
is  not  to  be  understood  that  the  Presbytery  absolutely  required 
the  Constitution  of  the  churches  to  be  literally  after  the  pattern 
given  by  the  Presbytery.  They  must,  however,  so  far  conform 
as  not  to  conflict  in  doctrine  or  in  practice  with  the  articles 
adopted  by  Presbytery. 

This  new  church  of  Elyria  had  extended  a  call  to  the  Rev. 
Daniel  Lathrop,  of  the  Presbytery  of  Hartford,  to  become  its 
first  pastor.  Mr.  Lathrop,  after  his  examination  in  theology, 
literature,  and  experimental  religion,  was  received  into  Huron 
Presbytery,  and  then  installed  according  to  the  call. 

It  was  in  this  year,  at  its  meeting,  February  15th,  that  the  Rev. 
Enoch  Conger  was,  after  due  examination,  received  from  the 
Presbytery  of  Susquehanna.  For  many  years  did  he  remain 
to  labor  among  the  churches,  in  seed  time  and  harvest,  until 
his  name  became  among  many  of  them  a  household  word. 

Several  licentiates  were  granted  recommendations  to  vacant 
churches  with  the  hope  of  eventual  permanent  settlements. 


SYNOD  OF  WESTERN  RESERVE. 

Another  epoch  in  the  history  of  the  Presbytery  was  marked 
during  this  year.  In  accordance  with  the  united  request  of  the 
three  Presbyteries  of  Grand  River,  Portage,  and  Huron,  the 
General  Assembly,  in  May,  1825,  resolved  "that  these  three 
Presbyteries  be  detached  from  the  Synod  of  Pittsburgh  and 
constituted  a  new  Synod,  to  be  designated  by  the  name  of 
"  The  Synod  of  Western  Reserve ;"  that  they  hold  their  first  meet- 


30  HISTORY  OF  HURON  PRESBYTERY. 

ing  at  Hudson,  on  the  fourth  Tuesday  of  September,  at  11 
o'clock  A.  M. ;  and  that  the  Rev.  Joseph  Badger  preach  the 
synodical  sermon  and  act  as  moderator  till  another  be  chosen  ; 
or  in  case  of  failure,  then  the  oldest  minister  present  shall 
officiate  in  his  place."  The  Rev.  Joseph  Badger,  it  will  be 
remembered,  was  the  second  minister  who  began  to  preach  on 
the  Western  Reserve,  Rev.  William  Wick  being  the  first. 

Agreeably  to  the  appointment  of  the  General  Assembly,  on 
the  25th  of  September,  1825,  the  Synod  of  Western  Reserve 
met  in  the  Presbyterian  church  in  Hudson,  and  was  opened 
by  Rev.  Mr.  Badger  with  a  sermon  on  2  Cor.  iv,  5 :  "  We  preach 
not  ourselves,  but  Christ  Jesus  the  Lord." 

The  new  Synod  was  organized,  and  Huron  Presbytery 
entered  into  new  relations.  Its  associations  in  other  respects 
were  still  the  same,  but  now  it  was  no  longer  a  part  of  the 
staid  old  Synod  of  Pittsburgh.  These  Presbyteries  and  churches 
that  were  under  the  Plan  of  Union  were  now  somewhat  more 
than  before  severed  from  those  that  were  established  upon  the 
Confession  of  Faith  of  the  Assembly  pure  and  simple. 

At  this  time,  according  to  Rev.  William  S.  Kennedy,  the 
Presbytery  of  Huron  numbered  9  ministers,  29  congregations, 
and  605  communicants.  According  to  the  Presbyterial  Records 
there  were  not  more  than  19  churches.  The  29  probably  means, 
as  the  words  may  indicate,  simply  congregations,  or  places  of 
preaching. 

The  members  of  Presbytery  felt  that  some  change  was 
necessary  in  their  missionary  operations,  as  some  of  the  churches 
were  much  of  the  time  without  preaching.  They  desired  that 
each  church  should  have  the  means  of  grace  statedly,  from  the 
same  minister,  at  least  from  one-fourth  to  one-half  of  the  time, 
where  the  people  were  able  and  disposed  to  pay  accordingly. 
They  requested  the  Synod  to  take  the  matter  into  consideration, 
and,  if  according  to  their  mind,  to  bring  it  before  the  Mission- 
ary Society  of  Connecticut.  And  further,  to  meet  the  end  in 
view,  the  Presbytery  resolved  to  classify  the  weaker  churches, 
combining  them  in  such  a  way  as  that  several  of  them  together 


1826.  31 

might  support  a  minister.  This  arrangement  was  also  deemed 
necessary  in  regard  to  sending  delegates  to  the  annual  meet- 
ings of  Synod. 

1826. 

On  the  22d  of  February,  1826,  Mr.  Stephen  Peet,  a  licentiate 
of  the  Hartford  Association,  who  had  been  commended  to  preach 
to  vacant  churches,  received,  through  Presbytery,  a  call  to  be- 
come pastor  of  the  Euclid  Congregation.  After  all  the  exami- 
nations and  trial  exercises  in  his  case  were  satisfactorily  passed, 
he  was  made  a  member  of  Presbytery  by  ordination,  and  then 
installed  pastor  of  said  church. 

At  the  same  time,  Mr.  John  Beach,  a  licentiate  of  the  Pres- 
bytery of  Otsego,  was,  by  letter,  taken  under  the  care  of  this 
body.  It  was  found  that  the  Church  of  Peru  had  made  some 
alterations  in  their  articles  of  Organization  and  Covenant, 
since  being  received  under  care  of  the  Presbytery.  A  Presby- 
terial  letter  was  addressed  to  the  said  church,  calling  attention 
to  this  fact,  disapproving  of  several  articles  in  the  change, 
and  expressing  the  hope  that  the  importance  of  making  due 
correction  would  be  seen  upon  consideration,  and  attended 
to  with  meekness  and  affection.  No  further  trouble  or  action 
on  the  part  of  the  Presbytery  appears  in  the  matter.  But 
it  seems  that  there  were  Presbyterian  churches  and  ministers 
within  the  bounds  of  the  body,  not  connected  with  it.  This 
was  a  serious  matter,  the  reasons  for  which  are  not  given. 

A  committee,  consisting  of  Rev.  E.  Conger,  with  Elders 
Smith  and  Clark,  was  appointed  to  consider  what  means  ought 
to  be  taken  with  regard  to  such  ministers  and  churches.  On 
the  recommendation  of  this  committee,  the  Presbytery  resolved, 
"  that  it  was  expedient  to  invite  such  ministers  and  churches 
to  unite  with  them,  and  should  they  decline  to  do  so,  then  the 
ministers  should  be  reported  to  the  body  to  which  they  belong  ; 
but,  with  respect  to  the  churches,  if  they  belong  to  no  ecclesi- 
astical body,  the  Presbytery  had  no  further  duty." 


32  HISTORY"  OF  HURON  PRESBYTERY. 

QUESTIONS  RAISED, 

At  the  meeting  of  August  15,  1826,  several  questions,  char- 
acteristic of  the  times,  were  raised,  and  answered. 

One  was :  "  Whether  a  Congregationalist  church,  without 
deacons,  has  a  right  to  discipline  a  member?"  Answered  in 
the  affirmative. 

Another  was :  "  Whether  the  officers  and  leading  members 
of  a  church  have  a  right  to  leave  tlieir  own  cliurch  services  to 
attend  those  of  another  denomination,  when  they  have  no 
preaching?  "  The  answer  to  this  was :  "  That  it  is  highly  im- 
proper for  any  of  the  members  of  our  churches  to  leave  their 
own  meetings  on  the  Sabbath,  whether  they  have  preaching  or 
not,  to  attend  the  preaching  of  other  denominations,  unless 
occasionally,  and  for  special  reasons." 


CARE  OF  THE  POOR. 

Still  another  question  was :  "  Ought  not  the  Church  to  support 
its  own  poor  ?  " 

In  answering  this  question,  a  committee,  consisting  of  Min- 
isters Lathrop  and  McCrea,  with  Elder  Fuller,  made  an  able 
and  certainly  satisfactory  report.  They  speak  of  the  subject 
involved  as  one  that  ought  to  engage  the  attention  of  the 
Christian  community.  They  refer  to  other  societies,  whose 
fundamental  principles  are  of  a  standard  far  below  that  of  the 
Christian  religion,  who  do  make  provision  for  the  support  of 
their  own  poor,  spurning  the  idea  of  becoming  dependent  upon 
the  charities  of  the  public. 

And  they  ask :  "  Shall  not  the  Church  of  Christ — the  Church, 
actuated  by  the  spirit  of  enlarged  benevolence — provide  for 
her  own  ?  Shall  she  see  them  pine  away  and  die  in  poverty, 
or  be  thrown  back  upon  the  world  from  which  they  have  sepa- 
rated ?  "  They  discuss  the  subject  from  the  Scriptures,  and  in 
view  of  the  difficulties  that  may  be  raised ;  and  they  press  the 
paramount  duty  resting  upon  the  Church  to  look  after  her  own 


eesumA  33 

poor,  and  this,  notwithstanding  the  fact  that  the  members  may 
be  taxed  to  support  the  poor  in  general. 

"  We  owe  it  to  Christ  and  we  owe  it  to  one  another."  They 
conclude  their  report  with  a  resolution,  which  the  Presbytery 
heartily  adopt :  "  That  whereas,  should  a  case  of  extreme  indi- 
gence occur  in  one  of  our  feeble  churches,  the  burden  would  be 
very  heavy  :  therefore,  this  Presbytery  earnestly  recommend  to 
all  the  churches  under  its  care,  to  lay  by  in  store  for  this  pur- 
pose, as  God  shall  prosper  them ;  and  annually,  in  the  month 
of  August,  to  send  up  to  the  Presbytery  their  collections,  to  con- 
stitute a  fund,  to  be  under  the  direction  of  the  Presbytery,  to  be 
appropriated  when  occasion  shall  require,  for  the  relief  of 
indigent  saints  within  our  bounds."  Verily  these  brethren 
were  thoughtful  men — understanding  a  great  principle  of  the 
doctrine  of  Christ.  If  the  noble  spirit  breathed  in  these  words 
were  in  all  the  churches,  as  it  should  be,  the  work  and  charities 
of  other  societies,  which  are  after  all  not  really  charities,  and 
some  of  them  not  claiming  to  be  so  in  truth,  would  be  put  to 
shame.  Under  proper  regard  of  the  church  for  her  poor  the 
light  of  Christ's  holy  charity  would  ever  shine  to  bless  and  to 
elevate,  and  also  to  attract  as  well. 

The  church's  influence  and  work  in  this  direction,  as  it  is,  no 
mortal  can  measure.  There  is  nothing  else  like  it,  or,  for  a 
moment,  to  compare  to  it.  But  she  might  be  more  nearly  per- 
fect if  she  would  think  and  act  as  these  dear  brethren  seem  to 
have  thought,  and  to  have  desired  the  churches  to  think  and 
act. 

RESUME. 

On  the  31st  of  October,  1826,  the  Rev.  Amasa  Jerome,  after 
satisfactory  answers  to  questions  on  theology  and  Christian 
experience,  was  received  by  letter  from  the  North  Association 
of  Litchfield,  Connecticut,  and  w^as  installed  Pastor  of  the 
church  of  Wadsworth.  At  this  same  meeting  the  first  letter  of 
dismissal  to  one  of  the  original  members  of  the  body  was 
given.  The  Rev.  Lot  B.  Sullivan  was  dismissed  to  the  Pres- 
bytery of  Buffalo. 


34  HISTORY  OF  HURON  PRESBYTERY. 

1827. 

On  the  20th  of  February,  1827,  the  churches  of  Waynes- 
field  and  Ebenezer  requested  to  be  taken  under  care  of  the 
Presbytery.  After  they  had  given  full  satisfaction  respecting 
their  doctrines  and  practices  in  church  matters  they  were  so 
received.  It  was  at  this  time  also  that  the  church  of  New 
Haven,  having  corrected  her  Confession  of  Faith  and  Cove- 
nant, was  received.  Mr.  Bradstreet  reported  to  this  meeting  of 
the  body  that  a  church  had  been  organized  in  the  Township  of 
Ruggles  by  the  Rev.  Eph.  T.  Woodruff,  of  the  Presbytery  of 
Grand  River  and  a  missionary  of  the  Connecticut  Society  for 
Missions,  and  Rev.  Ludovicus  Robbins,  of  the  Presbytery  of 
Portage,  without  the  concurrence  of  any  member  of  Huron 
Presbytery.  He  stated  that  this  was  clearly  out  of  order,  and 
contrary  to  the  instructions  which  Mr.  Woodruff  had  received 
from  the  Missionary  Society  of  Connecticut.  The  Presbytery 
agreeing  that  this  action  was  contrary  to  all  Presbyterian  law 
and  custom,  as  well  as  against  the  rules  of  the  Missionary 
Society,  Resolved :  "  to  direct  the  Stated  Clerk  to  send  a  state- 
ment of  the  facts  to  the  General  Board  of  Missionaries  on  the 
Western  Reserve."  As  it  was  doubtless  only  an  oversight  on  the 
part  of  the  Missionaries,  it  would  be  but  necessary  to  call  their 
attention  to  the  offense. 

Mr.  Isaac  Van-Tassel,  a  candidate  for  the  ministry,  was 
received  from  the  Presbytery  of  Grand  River,  and  having 
passed  all  his  examinations  and  trial  exercises,  he  was  licensed 
to  preach  the  gospel  within  the  bounds  of  the  Presbytery.  At 
an  adjourned  meeting  on  the  24th  of  July,  1827,  Rev.  E.  Conger 
was  installed  pastor  of  the  church  and  society  of  Lyme  and 
Ridgefield,  and  on  the  following  day  Mr.  John  Beach,  licen- 
tiate, was  ordained  and  installed  pastor  of  the  church  of  Peru. 
Rev.  Joseph  Edwards  was,  August  21st,  1827,  after  the  usual 
examinations,  received  from  the  Presbyter}"^  of  Onondaga.  The 
church  of  Brunswick,  on  account  of  its  feeble  state,  was  united 
with  that  of  Strongville. 


SPECIAL  INTERESTS.  35 

The  first  article  of  the  Constitution  of  the  Presbytery  was  so 
changed  that  afterwards  the  winter  meetings  would  fall  on  the 
third  Tuesday  of  January  each  year  instead  of  February ;  and 
for  the  first  time  in  the  history  of  this  body  the  Stated  Clerk 
began  to  be  paid.  It  was  decided  to  give  him  a  yearly  com- 
pensation of  five  dollars.  There  is  no  intimation  that  the  good 
brother's  conscience  compelled  him  to  decline  the  same  amount 
of  "  back  salary  "  for  one  year  which  was  also  voted  him  ; 
or  that  the  churches  raised  the  cry  of  "  salary  grabber "  if 
the  back  pay  were  received. 


SPECIAL  INTERESTS. 

So  early  as  1827  did  Huron  Presbytery  begin  to  show  her 
interest  in  the  welfare  of  the  enslaved  blacks  of  the  land.  Her 
first  manifestation,  however,  of  such  interest  was  in  her  action 
regarding  the  American  Colonization  Society.  The  claims  of 
this  Society  were  brought  to  her  attention.  The  ministers  and 
others  declared  their  sympathy  with  the  object  in  view,  and 
ministers  and  churches  were  recommended  to  form  local 
societies  and  to  take  up  collections  for  the  same. 

At  the  same  time  an  outlook  was  kept  to  the  regions  still 
farther  west  in  need  of  missionary  operations,  and  the  Indians 
were  not  forgotten.  One  of  the  original  members  of  the 
Presbytery,  Rev.  Alvan  Coe,  was  commended  to  the  American 
Board  of  Foreign  Missions  for  evangelical  w^ork  among  the 
Chippewas,  near  the  outlet  of  Lake  Superior.  Among  this 
race  of  people  this  body  has  had,  during  the  most  of  its  history, 
at  least  one  missionary  seeking  their  evangelization. 

In  regard  to  the  work  in  the  churches  at  home  there  is,  from 
the  beginning,  a  manifest  solicitude  that  ministers  and 
churches  be  found  faithful  and  their  work  successful.  At  this 
time  the  question  of  revivals  and  the  best  method  of  promoting 
them  came  under  discussion.  A  report,  expressive  of  the  views 
of  the  Presbytery  upon  the  subject  was  prepared  and  adopted, 
and  ordered  to  be  published  in  the  weekly  papers.     Thus  did 


36  HISTORY  OF  HURON  PRESBYTERY. 

the  brethren  seek  to  gain  the  attention  of  the  churches  to  the 
"  great  concern." 

LIST  OF  CHURCHES. 

In  1827,  just  four  years  after  the  organization  of  the  Presby- 
tery, the  number  of  the  congregations  was  thirty-two,  though 
no  notice  appears  of  some  of  them  as  to  wlien  they  were 
received  under  care.  Of  the  thirty-two,  some  were  organized 
churches  and  others  simply  congregations,  or  points  where 
preaching  was  more  or  less  regularly  conducted. 

These  congregations  and  churches  were :  Strongville,  Rich- 
field, Brownhelm,  Cleveland,  Brooklyn,  Lyme,  Elyria,  Dover, 
Euclid,  Greenfield,  Granger,  Wellington,  Peru,  Eldridge, 
Florence,  Wakeman,  Medina,  Brunswick,  Bath,  Brecksville, 
Columbia,  Portland,  Milan,  Clarksfield,  Fitchville,  Harrisville, 
Ridgeville,  Sheffield,  Waynesfield,  Ebenezer,  New  Haven  and 
Wads  worth. 

1828-9. 

On  the  15th  of  January,  1828,  Rev.  Randolph  Stone,  from 
the  Presbytery  of  Grand  River,  and  Rev.  Ludovicus  Robbins, 
from  that  of  Portage,  were  duly  examined  and  received  into 
Presbytery. 

Mr.  Harvey  Lyon,  a  student  of  Princeton  Theological  Semi- 
nary, passed  all  the  examinations  and  trials  required,  and  was 
licensed  to  preach  the  gospel.  He  was,  on  the  21st  of  May 
following,  ordained  to  the  full  work  of  a  minister,  and  then 
installed  Pastor  of  the  church  of  Vermillion  on  the  next  day. 

This  church  of  Vermillion  does  not  appear  in  the  foregoing 
list.  It  was,  however,  organized  February  20,  1818.  Rev. 
Joseph  Badger  had  preached  in  the  vicinity  in  1810.  The 
first  house  of  worship  was  erected  in  the  spring  of  1828,  about 
the  time  that  Mr.  Lyon  was  inducted  into  the  ministry,  and 
became  the  first  pastor  of  this  church — Princeton  Man,  Con- 
gregational Church.  In  1828,  the  churches  of  Ruggles,  Hinkley, 
and    Avon    were    added   to    those    already    under    care    of 


MILAN  CHURCH  DIFFICULTY.  37 

Presbytery,  as  was  also  that  of  Melmore.  These,  with  the 
church  of  Vermillion,  would  increase  the  list  of  churches  to 
thirty-seven. 

On  the  20th  of  August,  1828,  Rev.  James  Robinson  was 
received  from  the  Presbytery  of  Columbus.  He  had  been 
preaching  in  the  bounds  of  Seneca  County  for  a  few  months, 
and  upon  his  reception,  he  and  Rev.  E.  Conger  were  appointed 
to  organize  a  church  in  the  vicinity  of  Melmore  before  the 
next  stated  meeting.  The  church  was  organized  October  13, 
1828. 

At  a  called  meeting,  October  28  of  this  year,  the  Rev.  Joel 
Talcott  was  received  from  the  Council  of  Hartford,  Connecticut, 
and  installed  pastor  of  the  united  church  and  congregation  of 
Wellington  and  Brighton. 

On  the  20th  of  January,  1829,  a  church  was  organized  at 
Penfield ;  rather,  it  was  reported  upon  that  day,  and  received 
under  care  of  the  body.  On  the  day  following.  Rev.  Xenophon 
Betts  was  received  from  the  Association  of  Fairfield,  Connecti- 
cut. On  the  8th  of  April,  he  was  installed  Pastor  of  the  church 
of  Wakeman. 

On  the  28th  of  April,  Mr.  Isaac  Van  Tassel  was,  after  due 
process  of  examination  and  trial  exercises,  ordained  as  an 
Evangelist. 

August  19th,  Rev.  S.  V.  R.  Barnes  was  received  from  the 
Presbytery  of  Rochester.  On  the  same  day  the  pastoral  rela- 
tion existing  between  Rev.  Amasa  Jerome  and  the  church  of 
Wadsworth  was  dissolved ;  as  also  that  between  Rev.  J.  Beach 
and  the  church  of  Peru. 


MILAN  CHURCH  DIFFICULTY. 

A  difficulty  had  arisen  in  the  church  of  Milan  on  account 
of  the  church  having,  after  considerable  discussion,  changed 
its  form  of  government  from  the  Congregational  to  the  Presby- 
terian. It  seemed  necessary  that  a  presbyterial  committee  visit 
the  church  and  seek  to  reconcile  the  parties;  which  the  com- 


38  HISTORY  OF  HURON  PRESBYTERY. 

mittee  appointed  tliouglit  they  had  been  able  to  do  upon  visit- 
ation. The  government  remained  Presbyterian,  to  the  satis- 
faction of  most  of  the  members.  In  the  settlement  of  the 
trouble,  it  was  decided  that  any  who  were  hot  satisfied  should, 
upon  request,  have  letters  of  dismissal  to  any  other  sister 
church.  As,  however,  the  church  had  changed  its  form  of 
government  without  notice  to,  or  consent  of  the  Presbytery,  a 
feeling  to  some  extent  prevailed  in  the  Presbytery  that  in  this 
regard  they  had  acted  unwisely.  Resolutions  to  this  effect, 
and  that  no  church  ought  so  to  do,  were  adopted  at  the  next 
meeting  of  the  body. 


IMPORTANT  QUESTIONS. 

During  the  sessions  of  Presbytery  in  1828,  some  important 
questions  were  discussed,  and  action  taken  thereon.  One  ques- 
tion was :  "  What  course  should  be  pursued  by  our  churches 
with  members  of  Presbyterian  and  Congregational  churches 
elsewhere,  residing  among  them  and  neglecting  to  unite  with 
them  ?  "  It  was  decided  that  the  church  within  which  such 
persons  reside  should  show  them  their  duty,  and  if  they  still 
persist  in  neglecting  it,  report  them  to  the  church  to  which 
they  belong.  The  facts  here  aimed  at  were  doubtless  results 
from  the  mixed  relation  of  the  churches.  Some  Congrega- 
tionalists  and  some  Presbyterians  were  not  quite  satisfied  with 
this  state  of  things.  They  were  so  strongly  denominational 
that  they  allowed  the  fact  that  the  church  was  not  one  wholly 
of  their  order,  to  excuse  them  from  connecting  themselves  with 
it.     It  was  not  the  church  exactly  of  their  former  love. 

Another  subject  related  to  those  church  members  who  refuse 
to  contribute  their  due  proportion  to  the  support  of  the  gospel. 
This  is  always  one  of  the  most  unpleasant  of  questions  to 
handle.  Such  men  will  be  found  here  and  there.  And  they 
are  a  heavy  drain  on  Christian  charity.  They  are  often  a 
bugbear  in  the  eyes  of  the  world.  What  can  be  done  with 
them  for  their  own  good  and  the  comfort  of  others?    Well, 


THE  SABBATH-SCHOOL.  39 

the  Presbytery  of  Huron,  in  solemn  assembly,  concluded  to 
say  that,  "  Inasmuch  as  the  privileges  of  the  gospel  are  both  a 
public  and  private  benefit,  and  as  the  covenant  obligations  of 
professors  of  religion  bind  them  to  aid  in  the  extension  of 
Christ's  kingdom,  therefore  those  church  members  to  whom 
God,  in  His  providence,  has  given  the  ability,  and  who  with- 
hold that  support  which  it  is  in  their  power  to  give  to  the 
preaching  of  the  gospel,  ought  to  be  regarded  as  guilty  of  a 
violation  of  common  justice,  a  breach  of  the  covenant,  and  of 
the  sin  of  covetousness,  which  is  idolatry,  and  should  be  dealt 
with  as  for  other  offenses." 


THE  SABBATH-SCHOOL. 

The  idea  and  work  of  the  Sabbath-school  were  not  so  prom- 
inent in  the  Church  in  that  day  as  now.  There  was  more 
made  then  of  the  instruction  and  worship  of  the  home  and  of 
the  Catechism.  The  matter  of  wholesome  family  influence  and 
training  was  urged  upon  the  churches,  and  parental  responsi- 
bility was  pressed  upon  fathers  and  mothers,  while  children 
were  held  to  be  a  part  of  the  Church. 

Yet  the  importance  of  the  Sabbath-school,  especially  for  the 
children  of  the  world,  as  well  as  for  all,  both  old  and  young, 
was  coming  to  be  more  and  more  felt  among  Christian  leaders. 
In  this  region  it  was  so.  A  general  interest  was  taken  in  this 
modern  branch  of  church  work.  It  came  up  for  its  share  of 
thought  and  speech  in  the  conferences  of  Huron  Presbytery, 
and  the  question  was  raised  and  put  under  discussion  as  to 
what  might  be  the  best  methods  for  promoting  the  interest  and 
success  of  the  Sabbath-school  work. 

This,  along  with  the  Sabbath  itself,  and  its  proper  observ- 
ance, was  often  before  the  meetings  of  this  body.  These  men 
saw  a  great  deal  to  lament  in  the  desecration  of  the  Lord's  day ; 
and  again  and  again  they  would  call  the  attention  of  the 
churches  to  it.  While  they  declared  their  solemn  belief  in  the 
sacredness  of  the  holy  day,  they  condemned  all  manner  of  public 


40  HISTORY  OF  HURON  PRESBYTERY. 

and  private  desecration,  and  asked  each  other  what  could  be 
done  to  bring  the  people  up  to  a  higher  standard  of  Sabbath 
observance. 

TEMPERANCE. 

The  sentiment  of  the  churches  and  people  was  not  so  high 
then  upon  the  subject  of  Temperance  as  it  is  now,  and  yet  these 
fathers  and  brethren  were  in  the  front  ranks  of  the  then  rising 
and  growing  Temperance  army.  They  saw  the  curse  of  drink. 
It  would  now  and  then  even  get  into  the  churches.  It  has  always 
been  so.  It  gets  into  almost  every  sort  of  society  and  endear- 
ment. Upon  this  general  subject  high  ground  was  taken.  The 
Presbytery  expressed  itself  in  full  accord  with  the  sentiment 
and  action  of  the  General  Assembly,  regarding  the  evils  of 
intemperance,  and  appointed  a  day  of  fasting  and  prayer,  with 
special  reference  to  this  sin.  They  recommended  to  the  mem- 
bers of  the  churches  to  make  no  use  of  ardent  spirits,  except 
when  prescribed  by  a  judicious  and  temperate  physician.  Thus, 
upon  these  great  themes,  so  awfully  important,  the  Presbytery 
of  Huron,  along  with  the  great  bod}''  of  our  Presbyterian  and 
Congregational  Zion,  were  abreast  of  the  times.  May  we  not 
say,  they  were  in  advance  of  the  times  ? 

Charity,  public  and  private,  morality,  public  and  private,  and 
everything  that  might  be  supposed  to  be  excellent  for  the  bodies 
and  the  souls  of  men,  engaged  their  thoughtful  and  prayerful 
attention.  Fasting  and  prayer  they  sometimes  resorted  to,  feel- 
ing that  there  was  alarming  need  of  the  help  that  cometh  from 
God  only. 

PENITENTIARY  CHAPLAIN. 

A  letter  was  presented  to  the  body  at  its  meeting,  May  20, 
1827,  from  Rev.  James  Hoge,  d.  d.,  Corresponding  Secretary  of 
the  Board  of  Missions  of  the  Synod  of  Ohio,  requesting  aid  in 
the  support  of  a  chaplain  in  the  Ohio  State  Prison.  As  these 
men  seldom,  if  ever,  refused  to  respond  to  a  proper  call  for 
help,  they  did  not  refuse  in  this  case.     They  recommended  to 


PRAYER   FOR   THE  ASSEMBLY.  41 

the  churches  to  take  up  collections  for  this  object,  and  a  treas- 
urer was  appointed  to  receive  the  funds  that  might  be  collected. 


NEED  OF  MINISTERS. 

At  the  same  time,  while  ready  to  aid  in  support  of  a  prison 
chaplain,  there  was  in  the  Presbytery  a  feeling  of  a  general 
need  of  more  ministers  of  the  Word.  This  feeling  was  deep 
and  earnest.  In  view  of  the  increasing  population  of  the 
country,  and  of  the  destitution  of  many  places,  it  was  regarded 
as  of  immense  importance  that,  with  all  possible  rapidity,  the 
number  of  well-qualified  preachers  of  the  gospel  should  be 
increased.  They  believed  in  ministers  duly  fitted  for  their  work, 
and  to  give  practical  direction  to  their  wishes  and  prayers,  they 
resolved  to  support  at  least  one  beneficiary  in  the  course  of 
education  for  the  gospel  ministry,  if  a  suitable  man  could  be 
found  within  their  bounds ;  and  they  made  efforts  to  find  the 
man.  The  first  one  thus  supported  was  Mr.  Joseph  W.  Barr. 
Others  came  along  in  due  time,  and  they  were  aided. 


PRAYER  FOR  THE  ASSEMBLY. 

There  is  to  be  noted  in  the  acts  of  this  body  a  disposition  to 
harmonize  and  to  sympathize  with  the  General  Assembly  in  its 
deliverances  and  its  responsibilities  ;  and,  therefore,  when  the 
Assembly  recommended  to  the  churches  to  spend  a  due  propor- 
tion of  the  first  day  of  that  body's  sessions  in  prayer  for  and  with 
it,  the  Presbytery  take  up  the  recommendation,  and  send  it  down 
to  the  churches.  They  believed  in  God  as  the  hearer  of  prayer, 
and  they  believed  that  the  Great  Judicatory  of  the  Church  needed 
His  aid.  They,  therefore,  resolve  that,  when  it  is  about  to 
enter  upon  its  deliberations,  they,  in  their  churches,  will,  an- 
nually, unite  in  beseeching  God  to  grant  unto  it  His  gracious 
presence,  and  to  pour  out  His  Spirit  upon  the  churches,  and 
upon  the  world ;  and  they  commend  to  the  churches,  and  to 
individual  Christians,  the  observance  of  the  day,  and  to  fix 


42  HISTORY  OF  HURON  PRESBYTERY. 

upon  the  same  time  witli  the  Assembly  for  secret  devotion  and 
for  public  worship,  so  far  as  that  might  be  possible. 

There  is  in  this  a  manifestation  of  a  devoted  Christian  spirit, 
and  of  a  deep  interest  in  the  great  work  of  the  church  in  the 
land,  with  the  feeling  that  God  must  be  looked  to  in  fervent 
prayer  for  His  guidance  and  blessing. 


CHAPTER  III. 

FROM  1830  TO  1837. 

The  Presbytery  of  Cleveland  was  organized  in  1830.  By 
this  act  the  Presbytery  of  Huron  was  quite  materially  decreased. 
From  this  time  until  the  excision  of  1837  may  constitute  a 
distinct  era  in  the  history  of  this  body.  As  the  Cleveland 
Presbytery  was,  however,  not  formed  until  near  the  close  of  the 
year,  we  shall,  before  noting  that  event,  be  under  the  necessity 
of  carrying  down  to  that  time  the  records  concerning 

MINISTERS  AND  CHURCHES. 

On  the  21st  of  January,  1830,  there  came  into  the  Presbytery 
one  of  the  most  noted  men  who  have  figured  in  its  history. 
He  was  only  a  member  for  about  eighteen  years,  yet  those 
years  were  full  of  activity  and  of  good  fruits.  This  was  the 
Rev.  Everton  Judson.  He  was  received  by  letter,  with  the 
usual  examinations,  from  the  South  Association  of  Litchfield 
County,  Connecticut. 

On  the  same  day  Rev.  Henry  Cowles  was  received  from  the 
North  Association  of  Connecticut. 

April  14th  the  pastoral  relation  between  Rev.  H.  Lyon  and 
the  church  of  Vermillion  was  dissolved.  The  same  was  done 
with  the  relation  existing  between  Rev.  Isaac  Shailer  and  the 
congregation  of  Richfield,  on  the  17th  of  August. 

On  the  11th  of  February  of  this  year,  1830,  the  church  of 
Norwalk  was  organized.  The  organization  was  effected  by  the 
Revs.  Betts,  Lathrop  and  Beach,  and  there  were  nine  members. 
Its  form  of  government  is  said  to  have  been  both  Congrega- 
tional and  Presbyterian.  About  the  same  time  a  church  was 
organized  at  Westfield. 

43 


44  HISTORY  OF  IlUnOX  PRESBYTERY. 

On  tlie  18th  of  August,  Rev.  Amusa  Jerome  was  dismissed 
to  the  North  Association  of  Litchfield,  Connecticut,  from  which 
he  had  originally  come.  It  seems  pretty  certain  that  Mr. 
Jerome  was  never  fully  satisfied  with  his  Western  relationship, 
and  that  he  was  considerably  lacking  in  the  elements  of  a  good 
Presbyterian.  lie  gave  the  Presbytery  much  concern  by  his 
habitual  absence  from  the  meetings  of  the  body,  and  even 
neglected  to  answer  letters  written  him  on  the  subject.  He 
did,  however,  receive  a  letter  of  honorable  dismissal. 

At  this  date  the  pastoral  relation  between  Rev.  D.  W, 
Lathrop  and  the  Church  of  Elyria  was  dissolved. 

The  church  in  Euclid  was  granted  the  permission  of  the 
Presbytery  to  adopt  what  was  known  as  the  Accommodation 
Plan  of  Church  Government,  agreeably  to  the  action  of  the 
General  Assembly,  and  the  General  Association  of  Congrega- 
tionalists  in  commending  this  plan. 


JUDICIAL  CASE  OF  ELDER  CROCKER. 

From  this  church  in  Euclid  there  came  up  at  this  session  of 
the  Presbytery  the  first  judicial  case  tried  by  it.  The  case  most 
probably  resulted  from  the  unsettled  and  uncertain  state  of  the 
church  government.  They  had  undertaken  to  discipline  Elder 
Jedadiah  D.  Crocker.  The  result  was  a  difficulty  which  was 
finally  referred  to  Presbytery,  with  the  request  that  they  decide 
it.  Charges  had  been  preferred  against  Mr.  Crocker  of  refus- 
ing to  aid  in  support  of  the  means  of  grace,  and  of  substan- 
tially slandering  the  pastor.  There  were  several  other  items, 
but  these  two  only  were  sustained.  After  a  tedious  trial  by  the 
session,  three  ministers,  who  were  present,  were  requested  to 
aid  in  the  final  settlement  of  the  case.  They  proposed  terms 
of  agreement,  which  were  adopted  by  the  session  and  agreed 
to  by  Mr.  Crocker.  But  the  church  members  were  not  satisfied 
with  the  settlement.  The  difficulties  increased  and  threatened 
to  result  seriously.  Mr.  Crocker  himself  was  not  satisfied, 
though  he  had  assented  to  the  terms  proposed.     He  asked  a 


CONSTITUTIONAL   CHANGES.  45 

letter  of  dismission.  He  had  neither  been  condemned  nor 
acquitted.  In  this  state  of  the  case  the  Presbj^tery  was  requested 
to  investigate  and  render  its  decision.  A  committee,  appointed 
to  consider  and  report  the  best  course  to  be  pursued,  recom- 
mended that  the  whole  settlement  of  the  case  by  the  session  be 
declared  null  and  void,  and  that  Presbytery  proceed  to  try  the 
case  by  hearing  the  recorded  testimony  on  both  sides.  This 
was  done,  and  some  additional  statements  were  heard  from 
Mr.  Crocker  and  others  present.  After  which  a  committee,  con- 
sisting of  Messrs.  Lathrop,  Betts,  and  Shepard,  being  appointed 
for  the  purpose,  brought  in  a  minute  expressive  of  the  views 
and  the  final  action  of  the  body  upon  the  case.  Mr.  Crocker 
had  been  adjudged  guilty  of  the  two  charges  above  named,  and 
the  result  was  that  he  was  suspended  from  the  privileges  of  the 
Church,  and  tenderly  but  faithfully  admonished  by  the  Mod- 
erator to  repent  of  his  wrong  and  to  return  to  duty.  From 
this  action  of  the  Presbytery  Mr.  Crocker  appealed  to  the  Synod. 
There,  although  he  did  not  obtain  a  reversal  of  what  had  been 
done,  yet  he  did  secure  a  result  so  favorable  to  himself,  that 
some  exceptions  were  taken  to  the  records  of  the  Presbytery  in 
the  matter.  What  the  exceptions  were  the  records  of  the 
Presbytery  do  not  state. 


CONSTITUTIONAL  CHANGES. 

Three  changes,  not  wholly  unimportant,  were  made  in  the 
constitution  of  the  Presbytery  in  this  year,  1830.  One  was  in 
regard  to  the  discussion  of  moral  and  Scriptural  questions  of 
importance  at  the  stated  meetings.  The  business  of  the  body, 
owing  to  the  increase  in  the  number  of  churches  and  minis- 
ters, had  become  so  great  as  to  make  these  discussions  any 
longer  impracticable ;  therefore,  the  eighteenth  article,  requiring 
that  at  each  meeting  ministers  be  appointed  to  write  on  some 
important  question  or  some  Scriptural  passage  was  repealed. 
And  thus  ended  a  ver}^  interesting  part  of  the  Presbyterial  pro- 
ceedings.    This  was,  however,  revived  in  better  form  a  few 


46  JTISTOEY  OF  HURON  PRESBYTERY. 

years  later,  when  what  has  long  been  known  as  "  the  Minis- 
ters' Meeting  "  was  organized.  This  was  for  nearly  fifty  years 
one  of  the  very  interesting  and  profitable  features  of  this  body. 

A  second  change  in  the  Constitution  related  to  the  times  for 
the  stated  meetings.  They  had  been  held  first  in  February 
and  August;  tlien  in  January  and  August;  then  the  change 
was  made  fixing  the  date  of  the  regular  meetings  at  the  second 
Tuesday  of  April  and  the  second  Tuesday  of  September.  These 
are  the  dates  at  which  the  Presbytery  meets  now. 

The  third  change  was  not  really  an  alteration  of  the  Consti- 
tution, but  a  declaration  that  it  would  not  be  contrary  to  it, 
nor  to  the  rules  of  practice  for  the  churches,  that  any  church 
should  add  to  their  rules  an  article  requiring  entire  abstinence 
from  all  intoxicating  drinks  as  a  condition  of  membership,  pro- 
viding all  the  present  members  agree  to  it  and  to  be  governed 
by  it.  The  expediency,  however,  of  such  action  was  left  to  the 
discretion  of  the  individual  churches.  It  is  believed  that  some  of 
the  churches  did  adopt  such  an  article,  and  that  total  abstinence 
did  become  a  term  of  communion.  This  was  so  in  a  number 
of  the  churches. 


CLEVELAND  PRESBYTERY  FORMED. 

The  end  of  the  year  1830  marks  one  of  the  changes  through 
which  Huron  Presbytery  has  passed.  At  its  organization  it 
embraced  the  four  counties,  Huron,  Cuyahoga,  Lorain,  and 
Medina.  The  increase  of  the  population  during  the  seven 
years  of  its  existence,  but  more  especially  the  large  extent  of 
its  territory,  seemed  to  make  some  change  necessary.  The 
population  of  the  Western  Reserve  had  increased  from  1144 
in  1800  to  112,346  in  1830.  It  had  nearly  doubled  during 
the  brief  history  of  Huron  Presbytery.  The  organized  churclies 
had  increased  from  one  in  1800  to  98  in  1830.  The  ministers 
had  multiplied  from  two  in  1800  to  72  in  1830.  A  due 
proportion  of  this  increase  belonged  to  this  Presbytery,  em- 
bracing, as  it  then  did,  the  four  counties. 


CLEVELAND  PRESBYTERY  FORMED.  47 

There  were  in  this  body,  just  before  the  division  of  the  terri- 
tory, 22  ministers  and  41  congregations.  Considerably  more 
than  half  of  these  congregations  were  organized  churches.  Sev- 
eral of  them  only  had  an  existence  of  a  few  years,  when  they 
ceased  to  be  on  the  roll.  On  the  18th  of  August,  1830,  the  Pres- 
bytery adopted  an  overture  to  the  Synod  of  Western  Reserve, 
which  was  to  be  in  session  in  the  October  following,  "  to  erect  a 
new  Presbytery,  to  be  called  the  Presbytery  of  Cleveland,  to  con- 
sist of  the  following  ministers,  namely :  Joseph  Edwards,  Simeon 
Woodruff,  Israel  Shailer,  S.  V.  R.  Barnes,  A.  H.  Betts,  D.  W. 
Lathrop,  John  McCrea,  Stephen  Peet,  Harvey  Lyon,  and  Joel 
Talcott,  with  the  congregations  that  lie  in  the  counties  of 
Cuyahoga,  Medina,  and  Lorain ;  the  first  meeting  to  be  held  at 
Dover,  on  the  last  Tuesday  of  October  following,  at  2 
o'clock  p.  M.,  Mr.  Edwards  to  preach  the  sermon  and  to  pre- 
side as  Moderator  until  another  shall  be  chosen."  This  peti- 
tion was  granted  by  the  Synod,  and  the  new  Presbytery  was 
erected. 

By  this  change  the  number  of  ministers  in  Huron  Presby- 
tery was  reduced  to  eleven  and  the  number  of  churches  to 
thirteen,  with  Florence  and  Monroeville  (Ridgefield),  and  per- 
haps several  other  points  where  religious  services  were  held 
and  where  churches  were  soon  to  be  organized  to  be  added. 

The  territory  of  this  body  was  reduced  almost  to  Huron 
County,  then  including  Erie  County,  as  the  sole  ground  of  its 
operations.  This  was  not  exactly  the  case,  as  the  ground  west 
and  somewhat  south  was  as  yet  unoccupied  by  any  other  Pres- 
bytery, and  several  of  the  churches,  being  in  this  region,  were 
therefore  outside  of  Huron  County,  and  there  was  room  for 
extension  in  these  directions.  The  church  of  Ruggles  was  in 
Ashland  County  and  Melmore  was  in  Seneca ;  and  several 
other  points  in  Seneca  were  already  being  evangelized,  espec- 
ially by  Rev.  James  Robinson. 

One  of  the  twenty-two  ministers  before  the  division,  Amasa 
Jerome,  returned  to  Connecticut,  leaving  the  ten  above  named 
to  constitute  the  Presbytery  of  Cleveland.      Of  the  eleven  who 


48  HISTORY  OF  HURON  PRESBYTERY. 

remained  with  Huron  Presbytery,  but  one,  Alvan  Coe,  had  be- 
longed to  it  at  its  original  formation.  Of  the  ten  who  consti- 
tuted the  ministry  of  Cleveland  Presbytery,  three,  namely, 
Simeon  Woodruff,  Israel  Shailer,  and  Alfred  H.  Betts,  were 
original  members  of  Huron. 

Of  the  life  and  character  of  Mr.  Shailer  we  find  no  records 
from  which  to  gather  a  satisfactory  knowledge.  Of  the  other 
three  we  have  biographical  sketches,  which  merit  a  place  in 
these  pages. 

REV.  ALVAN  COE. 

We  take  the  following  mainly  from  the  "  History  of  Huron 
County,  Ohio :  "— 

"  Mr.  Alvan  Coe  emigrated  from  Massachusetts  to  Huron 
County  prior  to  the  War  of  1812,  and  remained  in  Huron  or 
Vermillion  until  its  close.  He  then  removed  to  Vernon, 
Trumbull  County,  where  he  subsequently  married  the  daugh- 
ter of  General  Smith.  He  entered  the  ministry,  and  was 
licensed  by  the  Presbytery  of  Grand  River  in  the  year 
1816.  He  soon  after  removed  to  Greenfield,  fixing  his  resi- 
dence at '  the  Centre.'  He  was  commissioned  a  missionary  by 
the  Connecticut  Missionary  Society,  and  commenced  itinerat- 
ing among  the  churches  in  this  and  adjoining  counties. 

"  Coming  frequently  in  contact  with  the  Indians,  his  heart  was 
moved  in  view  of  their  benighted  condition.  With  a  view  of 
civilizing  and  Christianizing  them,  he,  in  the  year  1818,  estab- 
lished an  Indian  school  at  Greenfield  Centre.  He  built  a  house 
for  the  purpose,  and  collected  about  twenty-five  or  thirty  boys 
of  the  Wyandotte  and  other  tribes  then  in  this  region,  whom 
he  taught,  fed,  and  clothed  at  his  own  expense,  with  such  con- 
tributions, mainl}'-  of  provisions,  as  the  presentation  of  his 
work  prompted  his  many  friends  to  give.  In  the  spring  of 
1820,  finding  the  enterprise  pecuniarily  burdensome,  he  ap- 
pealed to  the  Presbytery  of  Portage,  which  embraced  his  field 
of  labor,  for  a  recommendation  of  his  work  to  the  churches 
for  aid  in  sustaining  it,  and  invited  the  Presbytery,  then  in 


REV.    ALVAN  COE.  49 

session  at  Lyme,  to  visit  the  school,  that  its  members  might 
satisfy  themselves  as  to  the  success  of  his  experiment.  The 
visit  was  not  made,  but  the  Presbytery  endorsed  the  philan- 
thropic enterprise  and  heartily  recommended  it  to  the  churches 
ujider  its  care.  Several  years  after,  when  the  Western  Mis- 
sionary Society  established  a  mission  near  Perrysburg,  on  the 
Maumee,  Mr.  Coe  transferred  his  school  to  that  point,  and 
carried  it  on  a  short  time,  when  it  passed  under  the  care  of 
the  American  Board. 

"  Mr.  Coe  then  began  his  missionary  labors  among  the  various 
Indian  tribes.  In  1827  he  was  recommended  by  the  Presbytery 
of  Huron  to  the  American  Board  of  Foreign  Missions  for 
evangelical  work  among  the  Chippewa  Indians,  near  the 
outlet  of  Lake  Superior.  Thither  he  went,  and  continued  his 
labors  among  that  people  for  several  years. 

*'  When  he  left  Greenfield,  his  wife  returned  to  Vernon,  where 
her  parents  still  lived,  and  Mr.  Coe  enjoyed  but  little  of  her 
society,  so  constantly  was  he  engaged  in  his  chosen  work.  His 
sympathy  for  the  condition  of  the  Indians,  and  his  desire  for 
their  amelioration,  amounted  almost  to  a  monomania.  It  is  said 
that  during  his  labors  among  them  he  adopted,  to  some  extent, 
their  customs  and  conditions  of  living.  He  would  deny  him- 
self the  common  necessities  of  life  to  relieve  their  wants. 

"  He  once  had  occasion,  while  residing  in  the  Lake  Superior 
region,  to  go  from  a  mission  to  a  military  station,  which 
ordinarily  required  a  journey  of  about  three  days.  He  started 
with  a  supply  of  food,  but  divided  it  among  some  destitute 
Indians  whom  he  met  on  the  way.  He  was  longer  on  the 
journe}''  than  he  expected  to  be,  and  became  greatly  exhausted 
before  reaching  his  destination.  Knowing  the  Indian's  habit 
of  subsisting  on  the  bark  of  trees  to  appease  hunger,  he  tried 
the  plan,  and  ate  the  bark  of  an  oak,  which  nearly  cost  him 
his  life.  When  he  reached  the  military  post  he  was  in  a 
condition  of  great  distress,  and  it  was  some  time  before  he  fully 
recovered  from  the  effects  of  his  imprudence. 

"  The  Indians  became  greatly  attached  to  him,  and  regarded 
4 


50  HISTORY  or  HURON  rUESBYTERY. 

liim  with  veneration.  He  exercised  a  ])otent  influence  for 
good  over  them  during  his  association  with  them,  but  his 
mission  was  unsuccessful  in  accomplishing  any  permanent 
results. 

"  While  in  charge  of  the  school  in  Greenfield,  the  father  of 
one  of  his  Indian  pupils  came  from  Sandusky  to  visit  the 
school.  Before  returning,  he  called  at  the  house  of  Alden 
Pierce,  who  was  operating  a  small  distillery  in  the  neighbor- 
hood. The  Indian  was  offered  a  glass  of  whisky,  but  he 
refused  at  first,  saying  '  Pappoose  say  Mr.  Coe  tell  him  good 
Injun  no  drink  whisky;  he  go  up  good  place.  Bad  Injun 
drink  whisky  ;  he  go  down  bad  place ;  big  burn ; '  and  then, 
looking  wistfully  at  the  liquor,  added,  '  Injun  don't  know. 
May  he '  (moving  the  cup  slowly  to  his  lips)  *  Mr.  Coe,  he  lieJ 

"  Mr.  Coe  was  finally  prevailed  upon  to  accept  the  charge  of  a 
church  in  Trumbull  County,  but  consented  only  on  condition 
that  he  be  allowed  to  make  an  annual  visit  to  the  Indians. 

"  He  then,  in  1838,  changed  his  Presbyterial  relation  from 
Huron  to  Trumbull  Presbytery.  After  that  time,  however,  his 
face  was  seen  occasionally  in  this  Presbytery  advocating  the 
claims  of  the  American  Board  and  the  wants  of  those  in  need 
of  the  gospel." 

REV.  ALFRED  H.  BETTS. 

Of  this  minister,  who,  at  the  formation  of  Cleveland  Presby- 
tery, was  severed  from  Huron,  though  in  a  few  years  he  was, 
by  another  change,  returned,  Rev.  A.  Newton,  d.d.,  has  left 
the  following  memorial : — 

"  Among  the  names  that  were  most  frequently  spoken  with 
reverence  and  respect  by  all  classes  when  I  first  came  to  this 
country,  forty  years  ago  (in  1835),  was  that  of  Alfred  H.  Betts. 
With  the  good  of  all  denominations  it  was  a  household  word, 
a  synonym  for  everything  kind,  benevolent,  useful.  As  soon  as 
my  personal  acquaintance  with  him  began  I  understood  the 
secret.  I  found  him  to  be  all  that  I  had  heard.  There  was  in 
him  a  rare  spirit  of  true  benevolence.     He  had  drank  deep  at 


JiEV.   ALFRED   H.    BETTS.  51 

the  fountain  of  his  Divine  Master,  and  it  overflowed  in  a  life  of 
untiring  devotedness  to  His  cause.  He  had  chosen  the  profes- 
sion of  medicine,  which  he  practiced  for  seven  years  in  Danbury, 
Connecticut,  where  he  resided  after  he  left  his  native  town  of 
Norwalk,  of  that  State.  There  he  manifested  that  earnest 
desire  to  do  good  which  was  the  supreme  law  of  his  being.  Not 
content  with  doing  the  measure  of  good  which  he  could  do 
incidentally  in  his  profession,  he  made  special  and  direct  efforts 
to  promote  religion  among  the  poor  and  lowly.  He  gathered 
a  company  of  colored  people  together,  to  whom  he  read  ser- 
mons and  explained  the  Scriptures,  although,  through  extreme 
diffidence,  he  did  not  pray  in  public.  Nor  was  it  until  he  had 
been  a  professor  of  religion  for  several  years  that  he  could  be 
prevailed  upon  to  perform  this  duty.  Even  in  his  family 
devotions  he  used  the  Episcopal  Book  of  Common  Prayer. 

"  Moved  by  the  spirit  of  benevolence,  he  decided  to  leave  his 
native  State  and  remove  to  this  Western  country,  which  at  that 
time  (1817)  was  attracting  the  attention  of  immigrants.  He 
came  with  his  family  to  Florence,  where  he  immediately  estab- 
lished a  meeting  at  a  private  house  which  soon  attracted  a  large 
number  of  people,  and  was  the  means  of  spiritual  quickening 
to  many  who  had  enjoyed  religious  privileges  at  the  East.  He 
did  not  profess  to  be  a  preacher  of  the  gospel,  as  he  had  never 
been  inducted  into  the  sacred  office.  But  at  the  suggestion  of 
some  of  his  brethren,  he  left  his  work  and  family  at  Florence 
and  spent  seven  months  at  Hudson  with  Rev.  W.  Hanford,  in 
close  study  for  the  ministry. 

"  Having  obtained  a  license,  he  was  prepared  to  engage  fully 
in  the  work,  which  he  2:>rosecuted  with  unwearied  diligence,  in 
Florence  and  the  neighborhood,  until  he  removed  to  Brownhelm. 
Over  the  church  in  this  town  he  was  ordained  and  installed 
pastor  in  1821.  For  fourteen  years  he  sustained  this  relation, 
laboring  a  part  of  the  time  elsewhere.  In  1835  failing  health 
compelled  him  to  seek  a  release  from  his  pastoral  connection. 
Not  yielding,  however,  to  despondency,  he  girded  himself  anew 
for  his  work,  and  went  into  whatever  field  God  seemed  to  call 


62  HISTORY  OF  HURON  PRESBYTERY. 

him  to  occupy.  If  he  could  not  find  a  place  to  preach  in,  he 
would  engage  as  a  distributor  of  the  Bible  or  other  religious 
books.  lie  was  employed  in  1841  by  the  Huron  County  J^ible 
Society  to  canvass  its  field  and  .supply  books,  a  labor  which  he 
performed  to  tlie  entire  satisfaction  of  the  Board  of  Managers. 
His  self-forgetful,  self-renouncing  s|)irit  was  manifested  in  every 
way. 

"  If  there  was  any  feeble  church  struggling  for  existence,  Dr. 
Betts  was  sure  to  be  its  helper,  giving  his  time,  his  labor,  and 
his  money,  without  any  regard  to  compensation.  He  did  not 
seem  to  think  of  that.  His  chief,  all-absorbing  inquiry  seemed 
to  be, '  Can  I  do  any  good  ? '  The  fault  of  excessive  benevo- 
lence is  a  rare  one  among  even  the  best  of  men.  I  have  thought, 
as  the  instances  of  some  of  his  benefactions  have  come  to  my 
knowledge,  that  Dr.  Betts  was  one  of  the  uncommon  class. 

"  The  pains  he  took  to  qualify  himself  for  increased  useful- 
ness in  the  ministry  evinced  the  same  unfaltering  purpose  to 
do  good.  Though  not  favored  with  a  college  education,  yet  he 
made  very  respectable  acquisitions  in  the  kind  of  knowledge 
which  had  a  bearing  on  the  work  of  his  life.  He  probably  had 
studied  to  some  extent  the  Latin  language  preparatory  to  his 
medical  profession,  but  it  was  not  until  he  came  to  this  region 
that  he  studied  Greek  and  Hebrew.  Amid  all  the  distractions 
of  family  cares  and  the  duties  of  a  pastor  in  such  a  field,  and 
the  want  of  suitable  means  of  instruction,  he  yet  gained  such  a 
knowledge  of  the  Greek  Text  and  the  Hebrew  Bible  as  to  put 
to  blush  not  a  few  of  our  regularly  educated  theologians.  He 
learned  Hebrew  after  he  was  fifty  years  old. 

"  He  was  always  bent  on  getting  knowledge  of  the  Scriptures, 
that  he  might  be  a  more  able  and  useful  expounder  of  the  con- 
tents. Hence,  he  was  diligent  and  painstaking  in  our  'Min- 
isters' Meetings.'  So  long  as  he  could  attend  them  he  was  sure 
to  be  present,  and  he  always  contril^uted  to  make  them  inter- 
esting. 

"  It  was  not  my  fortune  to  hear  him  preach  more  than  once  or 
twice,  but  from  what  I  knew  of  his  view  of  preaching  and  from 


EEV.    ALFRED  H.    BETTS.  53 

the  testimony  of  others,  I  judge  that  its  grand  virtue  was  a 
simple,  direct,  kicid  presentation  of  the  Word  of  God  in  its 
natural  connections.  He  had  no  ambition  to  shine  as  a  great 
preacher  or  an  ingenious  sermonizer.  As  I  have  heard  one  of 
his  earl}'  hearers  say,  he  seemed  to  want  to  hide  liimself  behind 
the  Bible.  His  sermons  were  rather  expository  than  topical, 
although  he  was  abundantly  able  to  discuss  the  great  doctrines 
of  theology  or  any  other  religious  theme  instructively. 

"  He  was  strongly  attached  to  what  he  regarded  the  cardinal 
doctrines  of  the  Bible,  the  expression  of  which  is  to  be  found 
embodied  in  the  \¥estminster  Catechism.  It  was  this  that 
made  him  impatient  of  those  who  teach  another  gospel. 
And  while  he  could  give  the  right  hand  of  fellowship  to  all 
who  love  our  Lord  Jesus  in  sincerity,  of  whatever  name,  his 
love  for  that  form  of  doctrine  by  which  his  own  Christian  life 
was  sustained  made  him  somewhat  cautious  of  those  who 
adopted  other  forms  of  expression,  if  not  other  views.  Yet  as 
life  waned  his  Christian  charity  expanded,  and  he  appreciated 
more  clearly  the  position  and  the  work  of  other  Christian  de- 
nominations. 

"  As  a  man,  a  neighbor,  a  friend,  there  was  much  in  him  to 
attach  and  win.  Who  could  look  upon  that  benevolent  coun- 
tenance and  witness  the  overflowing  of  that  genial  spirit  with- 
out feeling  himself  drawn  toward  the  man? 

"  His  death  was  a  consistent  termination  of  such  a  life. 
There  were  no  raptures,  no  ecstatic  joys,  no  visions  of  coming 
glory,  which  he  could  communicate  to  his  friends.  The  nature 
of  his  disease,  which  produced  a  lethargic  state  of  the  system, 
prevented  nearly  all  expression  of  his  feelings.  Nor  was  any 
dying  testimony  needful.  He  had  borne  his  life-long  testi- 
mony for  God.  He  had  shown  beyond  all  doubt  that  he  was 
a  follower  of  that  Saviour  who  went  about  doing  good,  and 
who  taught,  '  It  is  more  blessed  to  give  than  to  receive.'  Yet 
he  knew  whom  he  had  believed.  He  felt  himself  in  the  arms 
of  Jesus,  and  he  sank  awa}'  to  his  rest  as  the  sun  gently  sinks 
beneath  the  horizon — gone,  but  not  lost ;  set,  to  rise  in  glory." 


54  HISrOHY   OF  11  r RON   I'RESBYTERY. 

Sucli  is  tlie  testimony  of  one  who  knew  him  well.  Mr.  Beits 
returned  to  Huron  Presbytery  in  1830,  by  another  change  in 
the  Presbyterial  bounds.  He  continued  as  a  part  of  this  body, 
and  as  one  of  the  men  interested  in  the  Ministers'  Meetings,  as 
in  all  the  work  of  tlie  cliurches,  until  a  third  change  again 
placed  him  within  other  Presbyterial  bounds.  This  was  in 
1842. 

He  died  and  was  buried  at  P)rownhelm  on  the  Otli  of  Sep- 
tember, 1860. 

REV.  SIMEON  WOODKUFF. 

From  the  work  of  Rev.  William  8.  Kennedy,  "  The  Plan  of 
Union,"  we  take  the  following  sketch  of  Mr.  Woodruff: — 

"  Rev.  Simeon  Woodruff  was  born  in  Litchfield,  Connecticut, 
July  26,  1782.  His  studies  preparatory  to  entering  college 
were  pursued  at  the  acadeni}^  in  his  native  town.  He  gradu- 
ated at  Yale  College  in  1809,  and  left  Andover  Theological 
Seminary  in  1812,  a  licentiate. 

"  While  at  Andover  he  was  an  associate  with  Samuel  J. 
Mills,  Gordon  Hall,  James  Richards,  and  others,  who  were 
pioneers  among  the  3'oung  men  of  this  land  in  the  foreign  mis- 
sionary enterprise,  and  his  mind  became  deeply  imbued  with  a 
similar  spirit.  During  this  period  he  became  a  member  of  that 
society  of  young  men,  formed  at  W^illiams  College,  in  which  a 
pledge  was  given  that  members  would  devote  themselves  to 
the  missionary  cause  among  the  heathen  if  Providence  should 
indicate  that  to  be  the  ])ath  of  duty.  For  some  time  Mr. 
Woodruff  expected  to  spend  his  days  on  heathen  ground  ;  but 
soon  after  commencing  to  preach,  in  1812,  he  relinijuished  that 
object,  and  turned  his  attention  to  the  new  and  destitute  settle- 
ments of  the  West.  For  a  young  man  of  promising  talents  to 
devote  himself  to  a  mission  as  far  west  as  Ohio  was  then  re- 
garded by  many  in  New  England  as  an  enterprise  involving  as 
great  sacrifice  as  it  is  now  to  go  to  the  Sandwich  Islands  or  the 
Empire  of  China. 

"  In  compliance  with  the  request  of  the  Trustees  of  the  Mis- 


REV.    SI3IE0N    WOODRUFF.  55 

sionary  Society  of  Connecticut,  Mr.  Woodruff  was  ordained  as 
an  evangelist  at  Washington,  Connecticut,  on  the  21st  of 
April,  1813.  He  had  been  appointed  to  the  field  of  New  Con- 
necticut, or  Western  Reserve,  and  on  the  10th  of  May  set  out 
on  horseback  for  his  destination. 

"  On  the  9th  of  July  he  arrived  at  Mr.  Badger's  cabin,  in 
Austinburg.  He  preached  his  first  sermon  in  Ohio  on  the 
following  Sabbath  at  Mentor,  and  on  the  Wednesday  following 
reached  the  house  of  Rev.  Mr.  Seward,  at  Aurora,  Portage 
County.  Mr.  Seward,  in  the  course  of  their  interview,  remarked 
to  him,  with  tears  in  his  eyes  :  '  I  rejoice  to  see  you  here,  but 
knowing  your  youth  and  the  difficulties  of  your  work,  1  rejoice 
with  trembling.'  On  the  25th  of  the  same  month  Mr.  Wood- 
ruff preached  in  Esquire  Wright's  barn,  in  Talmadge,  and  soon 
after  received  a  unanimous  call  from  the  church  in  Talmadge 
to  settle  over  them  as  pastor.  '  Never  before,'  says  he,  '  did  I 
witness  such  earnest  desire  to  enjoy  the  gospel  ministry.'  The 
salary  proposed  in  the  call  was  two  hundred  dollars,  to  be  paid 
in  provisions.  Doubtful  as  to  his  duty,  and  reluctant  to  decide, 
while  earnestly  seeking  the  Lord's  direction  he  spent  several 
months  in  missionary  labor,  and  then  accepted  the  call.  On 
the  13th  of  May,  1814,  he  was  installed  Pastor  of  the  Congre- 
gational Church  in  Talmadge.  This  relation  continued  for 
nine  years  and  four  months.  Much  of  Mr.  Woodruff's  time, 
however,  during  these  years  was  spent  in  missionary  labor 
among  the  feeble  churches.  The  church  in  Talmadge  grew 
and  prospered,  and,  largely  through  Mr.  Woodruff's  influence, 
an  academy  was  built. 

"  In  September,  1823 — about  two  months  before  the  organi- 
zation of  Huron  Presbytery — he  resigned  this  charge,  and 
labored  most  of  his  time  as  a  missionary  until  January  12, 
1825,  when  he  was  installed  pastor  over  the  church  and  society 
of  Strongville,  Cuyahoga  County. 

"  Here  again  he  was  instrumental  in  building  up  a  large  and 
flourishing  church.     Here  also  he  secured  the  erection  of  an 


66  HISTORY  OF  HURON  RRESBYTERY. 

academy  and  a  large  church  edifice.  This  pastoral  relation 
also  continued  nine  years  and  four  months. 

"  Besides  being,  as  is  believed,  the  instrument  of  many  con- 
versions to  God,  Mr.  Woodruff  laid  the  foundation  of  an  order 
of  things  in  each  of  those  places  which  will  long  remain  to 
bless  the  people  who  may  dwell  there. 

"  In  January,  1837,  he  was  installed  pastor  of  the  church  in 
Worthington,  Franklin  County.  In  the  fall  of  1838  this  rela- 
tion was  dissolved,  and  he  removed  with  his  large  family  to 
Bainbridge,  Berrien  County,  Michigan,  where  he  labored  in  the 
service  of  the  Missionary  Society  of  Connecticut  till  his  death, 
which  occurred  on  the  28th  of  August,  1839. 

"Mr.  Woodruff  was  married  September  29,  1817,  to  Miss 
Mary  Granger,  of  Talmadge,  who  became  the  faithful  partner 
of  his  life,  sharer  of  his  toils,  and  the  surviving  guardian  of 
his  children.  She  proved  to  be  a  woman  of  more  than  ordi- 
nary character — resolute,  energetic,  persevering,  and  inflexible 
in  her  faith  in  God. 

"  To  these  parents  there  were  born  thirteen  children,  nine  of 
whom  grew  to  maturity.  They  were  respectably  reared  and 
educated,  notwithstanding  the  difficulties  of  the  times.  They 
had  the  advantage  of  thorough  religious  instruction.  For  all 
this  much  was  due  to  the  faithful  mother  and  wife,  who  had 
the  pleasure  of  seeing  them  all  take  respectable  positions  in 
life.  One  of  the  daughters  became  the  wife  of  Rev.  E.  Bush- 
nell,  D.  D.,  so  long  and  helpfully  known  in  Huron  Pres- 
bytery." 

MINISTERS  AND  CHURCHES  IN  1831. 

The  Presbytery  of  Cleveland  having  been  organized,  the 
constituent  parts  of  Huron  Presbytery  remaining  were  as  fol- 
lows : — 

Ministers,  E.  Conger,  S.  J.  Bradstreet,  J.  Beach,  Xenophon 
Betts,  E.  Judson,  J.  Robinson,  A.  Coe,  Ludovicus  Robbins,  R. 
Stone,  J.  Van  Tassel,  and  Henry  Cowles. 


LAW  FOR  RECEIVING   MINISTERS.  57 

The  churches  were,  Norwalk,  Fitchville,  Clarksfield,  Vermil- 
lion, Peru,  Lyme,  Milan,  Eldridge,  Ruggles,  Greenfield,  San- 
dusky, Wakeman,  and  Melmore,  besides  the  congregations,  not 
yet  organized,  at  Florence,  Monroeville,  and  other  points. 

On  the  13th  of  April,  1831,  the  names  of  Rev.  E.  P.  Salmon, 
from  the  Central  Association,  of  Hampshire,  Massachusetts; 
Rev.  J.  H.  Russ,  from  the  Mountain  Association,  of  Massachu- 
setts, and  Rev.  Samuel  Dunton,  from  the  Oneida  Association, 
New  York,  w^ere  in  the  usual  manner  added  to  the  roll. 

On  the  14th,  Mr.  Loren  Robbins,  a  licentiate  of  the  Andover 
Association,  of  Massachusetts,  was  received,  examined,  and 
ordained  to  the  ministry.  Thus  the  roll  of  ministers  was  in- 
creased to  fifteen,  while  the  organized  churches  numbered 
thirteen,  with  an  indefinite  number  of  points  where  services 
were  conducted. 

On  the  14th  of  September,  however.  Rev.  Ludovicus  Rob- 
bins  was  dismissed  to  the  Presbytery  of  Ontario,  leaving  the 
number  of  ministers  fourteen. 


LAW  FOR  RECEIVING  MINISTERS. 

It  had  been  the  aim  of  this  body,  from  its  organization,  to 
be  careful  in  the  reception  of  those  to  be  invested  with  the 
ministerial  office;  therefore,  all  candidates,  licentiates,  and 
ministers,  coming  from  any  religious  bodies  whatever,  were 
subjected  to  an  examination  upon  religious  experience  and 
life  and  upon  theology  before  they  could  be  received  or  or- 
dained. 

In  its  Constitution  the  Presbytery  had  declared  its  right  and 
duty  to  know  the  religious  character  and  sentiments  of  minis- 
ters who  would  become  members  of  it,  and  the  right  to  accept 
or  to  reject.  And  no  church  under  the  care  of  the  body  had 
the  right  to  give  a  call  for  settlement  to  any  minister  until  he 
had  been  approved  by  the  Presbytery  or  by  two  of  its  Standing 
Committee ;  and  there  could  be  no  installation  of  a  minister  or 


58  HISTORY  OF  HURON  PRESBYTERY. 

ordination  until  the  applicant  had  put  himself  in  due  relation 
to  the  hody. 

These  requirements  up  to  this  point  seem  to  have  been  faith- 
fully observed.  None  had  been  received,  licensed,  or  ordained 
without  the  due  process  of  examination,  no  matter  from  what 
body  they  came  or  what  letters  they  brought.  Yet  the  Presby- 
tery was  willing  to  conform  to  even  stricter  rules  in  this 
matter  if  the  same  was  deemed  b}'-  the  higher  courts  to  be 
advisable. 

In  the  Form  of  Government  of  the  Presbyterian  Church,  in 
Chapters  XIV  and  XV,  it  is  required  of  candidates  in  the 
Presbytery  and  already  under  its  care,  before  they  can  be 
licensed  to  preach  the  Gospel,  to  declare  that  the}''  believe  the 
Scriptures  of  the  Old  and  New  Testaments  to  be  the  Word  of 
God  and  only  infallible  rule  of  faith  and  practice,  and  that 
they  sincerely  receive  and  adopt  the  Confession  of  Faith  of 
this  Church  as  containing  the  system  of  doctrine  taught  in  the 
Holy  Scriptures.  Then  they  promise  to  study  the  peace,  unity, 
and  purity  of  the  Church,  and  to  submit  themselves,  in  the 
Lord,  to  the  government  of  the  Presbytery. 

In  addition  to  these  requirements  for  licensure,  the  candidate 
for  ordination  was  called  upon  to  declare  that  he  approved  of 
the  government  and  discipline  of  the  Presbyterian  Church  in 
these  United  States,  and  that  so  far  as  he  knew  his  own  heart 
he  had  been  induced  to  seek  the  office  of  the  holy  ministry 
from  love  to  God  and  a  sincere  desire  to  promote  His  glory  in 
the  Gospel  of  His  Son ;  and  then  he  was  expected  to  promise 
to  be  zealous  and  faithful  in  maintaining  the  truths  of  the 
Gospel  and  the  truth  and  purity  of  the  Cliurch,  whatever  per- 
secution or  opposition  might  arise  to  him  on  that  account ;  and 
also  to  promise  to  be  faithful  and  exemplary  in  all  matters  of 
personal  piety  and  private  life,  as  well  as  in  all  the  relative  and 
public  duties  of  his  office. 

The  General  Assembly  in  1S30  declared  that  in  their  judg- 
ment every  licentiate,  coming  from  any  corresponding  ecclesi- 


HURON  CLASSICAL   INSTITUTE.  59 

astical  body  to  any  presbytery,  should  be  required  to  answer 
in  the  affirmative  these  questions  to  be  put  to  our  own  candi- 
dates for  licensure,  and  that  in  like  manner  every  ordained 
minister  of  the  Gospel,  coming  from  any  church  in  correspon- 
dence with  the  General  Assembly  by  letter,  should  be  required 
to  answer  in  tlie  affirmative  these  questions  to  be  addressed  to 
our  own  licentiates  when  about  to  be  ordained  to  the  sacred 
office. 

Huron  Presbytery,  at  their  meeting  next  following  this  de- 
liverance of  the  Assembly,  resolved  upon  a  compliance  with 
the  action.  They  declared  their  purpose  in  the  future  to  require 
all  licentiates  and  ordained  ministers,  coming  from  other  eccle- 
siastical bodies  not  connected  with  the  Presbyterian  Church, 
wishing  to  unite  with  them,  to  answer  the  same  questions  as 
referred  to  above,  and  in  the  same  manner  as  though  they 
were  to  be  licensed  or  ordained  by  this  Presbytery,  before  they 
could  be  received  as  members.  There  appears  to  have  been 
no  opposition  to  this  resolution  from  any  member  of  the  body. 


HURON  CLASSICAL  INSTITUTE. 

Regard  to  the  importance  of  an  educated  ministry  has  ever 
been  a  prominent  feature  of  the  Presbyterian  Church.  Huron 
Presbytery  was  in  full  sympathy  with  the  Church  at  large  in 
this  matter,  and,  besides,  there  was  a  feeling  that  the  demand 
for  more  ministers  was  pressing,  and  that  something  should  be 
done  to  encourage  and  help  young  men  to  secure  the  proper 
qualifications  for  the  sacred  office.  As  the  result  of  this  feel- 
ing, the  Presbytery,  at  its  meeting  September  13,  1831,  delibe- 
rated upon  the  matter  of  establishing  a  classical  school  within  ^ 
their  own  bounds,  and  a  committee  was  appointed  to  devise 
and  carry  into  effect  measures  for  the  accomplishment  of  this 
object. 

This  committee  consisted  of  D.  Higgins,  E.  Conger,  John 
Seymour,  John  Fuller,  E.  Judson,  Philo  Clark,  X.  Betts,  John 
Beach,  E.  P.  Salmon,  B.  Sturtivant,  M.  Farwell,  and  Ebenezer 


60  HISTORY  OF  HURON  PRESBYTERY. 

Andrews.  To  these  twelve  were  afterward  added  eight 
others:  George  G.  Baker,  S.  J.  Bradstreet,  Samuel  Diinton,  A. 
B.  Harris,  E.  Lane,  Almon  Ruggles,  M.  C.  Sanders,  and  Asa 
Sanford.  The  twenty  were  constituted  the  Board  of  Trustees. 
The  Committee  of  twelve  reported  at  the  next  meeting  of  Pres- 
bytery, on  November  29th,  that  the  measure  met  with  quite 
general  approbation  throughout  the  county,  and  that  liberal 
pecuniary  pledges  had  been  proposed  in  several  places  for  the 
purpose  of  securing  the  location. 

But  in  view  of  the  superior  advantages  of  Milan,  and  in 
further  consideration  of  the  sum  of  $2000,  pledged  to  aid  in 
securing  lands  and  buildings  for  the  school,  this  place  was  re- 
commended as  the  best  location  for  the  proposed  institution. 
The  recommendation  was  adopted.  The  school  was  located  at 
Milan,  and  was  to  be  called  "  The  Huron  Classical  Institute." 
The  Board  was  appointed  and  directed  to  secure  the  erection 
of  suitable  buildings,  and  to  put  in  operation,  upon  a  broad 
and  liberal  plan,  an  academical  institution  where  youth  of 
both  sexes  could  receive  a  polite  English  and  classical  educa- 
tion. The  Presbytery  define  in  full  the  purposes  of  the  school, 
and  guard  carefully  against  the  danger  of  teachers  of  unsafe 
religious  belief  or  character  being  employed;  and,  to  secure  its 
successful  operation,  they  assumed  the  responsibility,  incurred 
by  their  committee,  of  raising  for  it  $400  annually  for  five  years. 

In  consequence  of  this  action  in  founding  this  school.  West- 
ern Reserve  College  was  advised  not  to  attempt  to  raise  funds 
in  the  bounds  of  Huron  Presbyter}^  for  some  time. 

The  Rev.  Eldad  Barber  has  left  a  concise  history  of  this  in- 
stitution, of  which  he  was  the  first  principal,  which  we  here 
give  in  his  ow^n  language : — 

"  The  Huron  Institute  owes  its  existence  to  extensive  revi- 
vals of  religion  in  the  churches  of  Huron  Presbytery  in  the 
years  1830  and  1831.  The  Rev.  Messrs.  Judson  and  Conger,  who 
were  especially  active  in  these  revivals,  having  attended  pro- 
tracted meetings  in  most  of  these  churches,  became  acquainted 
"with  a  number  of  young  men  among  the  converts  whom  they 


HURON  CLASSICAL  INSTITUTE.  61 

felt  it  important  they  should  encourage  to  enter  upon  a  course 
of  study  for  the  ministry.  There  was  at  that  time  no  school 
west  of  Hudson,  on  the  Reserve,  where  young  men  could  be 
prepared  for  college.  This  led  Mr.  Judson  to  engage  earnestly 
in  the  enterprise  of  founding  an  institution  where  young  men 
could  be  fitted  for  college,  and  where,  in  some  special  instances, 
they  could  pursue  such  a  course  of  study  as  would  enable  them 
to  enter  a  theological  seminary,  and  also  where  the  youth  of 
both  sexes  within  the  bounds  of  the  Presbytery  could  enjoy 
the  advantages  of  a  first-class  high  school  or  academy. 

"  The  subject  was  brought  up  in  the  Presbytery  and  earnestly 
discussed,  and  a  Board  of  Trustees  was  appointed,  consisting 
of  twenty  men,  who  were  believed  to  be  the  most  deeply 
interested  in  the  cause  of  education,  selected  from  all  parts  of 
Huron  County.  At  the  next  session  of  the  Legislature,  in  the 
winter  of  1831-2,  an  act  of  incorporation  was  obtained  by 
which  this  Board  of  Trustees,  nominated  by  the  Presbytery, 
was  incorporated,  with  power  to  fill  their  own  vacancies,  and 
making  the  Principal  of  the  institution,  ex-officio,  a  member. 
The  corporate  name  was  the  Huron  Institute.  It  was  proposed 
to  raise  $4000  at  the  start  for  the  purpose  of  securing  a  site 
and  erecting  a  building  for  the  use  of  the  institution.  Of  this 
sum  the  people  of  Milan,  on  condition  that  the  institute  should 
be  located  there,  agreed  to  raise  one-half,  and  the  churches  of 
Huron  Presbytery  were  expected  to  furnish  the  other  half. 

"Mr.  Judson,  as  agent  for  the  Board,  entered  earnestly  upon 
the  work  of  securing  the  proposed  sum.  He  could  assure  all 
the  churches  in  the  Presbytery  that  it  would  be  greatly  to 
their  interest  to  have  such  an  institution  within  their  bounds, 
where  their  sons  and  daughters  could  be  educated  at  much 
less  expense  than  by  sending  them  abroad.  He  succeeded  in 
raising  the  amount  proposed  in  the  churches,  and  the  people 
of  Milan  more  than  redeemed  their  pledge  of  $2000. 

"  But  the  Institution  grew  too  fast.  Other  buildings  were 
urgently  needed  to  carry  out  the  original  plan  of  a  boarding- 
house  and  a  workshop.     The  Huron  Institute  was  founded  on 


62  HISTORY  OF  HURON  PRESBYTERY. 

tlie  Araniial  Labor  System,  so  popular  at  tliat  day,  affording 
facilities  for  all  those  who  wished  it  for  laboring  a  part  of 
each  day.  The  contracts  for  the  land  and  the  Institute  building 
to  be  erected  thereon  exhausted  the  S400(X  and  then  additional 
improvements  led  to  the  accumulation  of  a  debt  tliat  was  long 
a  source  of  vexation  to  the  Board,  and  was  finally  canceled  by 
the  sale  of  a  part  of  the  Institute  grounds  and  the  boarding- 
house.  It  led  also  to  the  assumption  by  the  Principal  of  the 
Institute  of  the  pecuniary  responsibility  of  providing  for  the 
department  of  instruction  from  the  income  from  the  tuition 
bills.  This  responsibility,  assumed  temporarily  in  the  enthu- 
siastic ardor  of  building  up  the  Institute,  was  never  removed, 
but  left  as  an  inheritance  to  his  successor. 

"  The  Institute  building  could  not  be  finished  before  Novem- 
ber, 1832.  But  as  there  was  a  class  of  ten  or  fifteen  young 
men  wishing  to  commence  at  once  a  course  of  preparation  for 
college,  and  as  several  families  in  Milan  were  anxious  that  the 
school  should  be  opened  that  spring,  it  was  resolved  to  com- 
mence the  exercises  immediately,  with  such  accommodations 
as  could  be  secured  in  the  village. 

"  The  Rev.  E.  Barber  was  appointed  Principal,  and  he  came 
to  Milan  and  opened  the  Institution  the  20th  of  April,  1832. 
The  room  at  first  occupied  was  in  the  office  of  J.  Smith,  Esq. 
Six  students  only  were  present  the  first  week,  but  before  the 
close  of  the  quarter  twenty-five  were  enrolled.  The  second 
quarter  commenced  with  thirty-six  scholars,  too  many  to  be 
accommodated  in  the  small  room  at  first  occupied,  and  a  larger 
room  was  obtained  in  the  upper  story  of  a  house,  then  called 
the  Harknesfi  House.  The  building  was  not  quite  ready  to  be 
occupied  at  the  commencement  of  the  third  quarter,  and  for  a 
few  weeks  the  law  office  of  R.  P.  Hopkins,  Esq.,  was  obtained. 

"  In  December  one  room  on  the  second  floor  of  the  Institute 
building  was  finished  and  immediately  occupied,  and  although 
in  other  parts  of  the  building  the  sounds  of  the  saw  and 
hammer  were  heard  for  several  weeks,  yet  the  annoyance  of 
such   sounds   in   study   and  recitation   hours  was   cheerfully 


HURON  CLASSICAL  INSTITUTE.  63 

borne  in  view  of  the  superior  advantages  our  new  room 
afforded. 

"  The  catalogue  of  this  first  year  of  the  Huron  Institute  has 
90  names  on  its  roll — 46  males  and  44  females.  Of  this 
number  14  were  studying  Latin  and  Greek  with  a  view  of 
fitting  themselves  for  college.  Eight  of  them  entered  upon  a 
college  course.  The  Institute  was  highly  prospered  during 
the  second  and  third  years  of  its  course. 

"  The  catalogue  of  the  third  year  numbered  127,  of  whom  28 
were  in  the  classical  department,  55  in  the  English  depart- 
ment, and  44  in  the  female  department.  Of  this  first  class 
fitted  for  a  college  course  at  the  Institute,  14  entered  upon  such 
a  course,  11  graduated  from  college,  of  whom  five  entered  the 
ministry,  four  entered  a  theological  seminary  without  gradu- 
ating from  college,  four  devoted  themselves  to  teaching,  three 
became  lawyers,  and  four  physicians. 

"  It  has  been  already  stated  that  the  Principal,  soon  after  com- 
mencing the  school,  took  upon  himself  the  pecuniary  responsi- 
bility of  furnishing  the  necessary  instruction  from  the  avails  of 
the  tuition  bills.  This  was  done  to  encourage  the  Board  to 
complete  the  necessary  buildings  in  addition  to  the  one  already 
under  contract,  viz. :  a  workshop  and  a  boarding  house.  The 
tuition  was  fixed  by  the  Board  at  four  dollars  per  quarter  in 
the  classical  department,  and  at  three  dollars  per  quarter  in  the 
English  and  female  departments.  The  whole  income  for  the 
first  year  was  less  than  $400,  out  of  which  $150  was  paid  for 
assistant  instruction.  It  was  deemed  expedient  to  make 
special  sacrifices  at  that  time  in  order  to  place  the  Institution 
in  the  most  favorable  condition  and  reduce  the  expenses  to 
students  as  low  as  possible.  In  this  effort  the  Principal  was 
aided  and  encouraged  ver}^  much  by  many  of  the  families  in 
the  village,  who,  at  much  inconvenience  to  themselves,  took  stu- 
dents to  board  at  the  low  rate  of  one  dollar  or  one  dollar  and 
a  quarter  per  week,  and  furnished  many  places  where  they 
could  pay  their  board  by  rendering  some  assistance  in  the  fam- 


64  HISTORY  OF  HURON  PRESBYTERY. 

ily.     No  student  was  ever  refused  admission,  or  ever  dismissed 
because  too  poor  to  pay  tuition. 

"  Mr.  Henry  Ballantine,  a  graduate  of  Atliens  University, 
Ohio,  Avas  employed  as  assistant  teacher  one  year,  from  Novem- 
ber, 1832.  Mr.  Ballantine  subsequently  studied  theology,  and 
spent  nearly  thirty  years  of  his  life  as  a  missionary  in  India. 
Mr.  Benjamin  Judson  succeeded  him  as  assistant  teacher,  and 
continued  in  that  capacity  until  the  spring  of  1835.  Mrs.  C. 
B.  Stuart  was  employed  as  the  first  assistant  in  the  female 
department,  and  Miss  E.  A.  Hubbard  succeeded  her  in  the 
spring  of  1834,  and  continued  until  the  autumn  of  1835. 

"  In  consequence  of  severe  and  long  protracted  sickness,  the 
Principal,  in  the  summer  of  1835,  resigned  his  position,  and 
Mr.  S.  C.  Hickok  was  appointed  in  his  place.  Mr.  Hickok  con- 
tinued till  April,  1839,  and  then  resigned.  In  1843  Mr. 
Henry  W.  Williams  was  elected  principal  of  the  Institute.  In 
1848  Rev.  Lemuel  Bissell  took  charge  of  the  school  and  con- 
tinued two  years.  Mr.  Robert  Bliss,  of  Boston,  then  became 
principal,  but  dismissed  the  school  after  two  weeks  and 
returned  East.  The  cause  assigned  by  the  secretary  of  the 
Institution  was, '  home  sickness.'  Mr.  T.  S.  Bradley,  of  Auburn 
Theological  Seminary,  next  took  charge  of  the  school  in  1850- 
51.  Mr.  Nathan  Barrows,  Mr.  Dwight  Sayles,  and  :Mr.  John 
McKee  were  employed  successively  as  Principals  till  1857. 

"  In  1858  the  Trustees  leased  the  Institute  building  for  a  term  of 
years  to  Rev.  Asa  Brainard  and  S.  F.  Newman,  for  the  purpose 
of  a  normal  school,  which  has  continued  in  successful  opera- 
tion till  the  present  time  (1868),  and  is  now  under  the  superin- 
tendence of  the  last-named  gentleman. 

"  It  is  difficult  to  tell  the  number  of  students  that  prepared 
for  college  at  the  Institute.  There  was  a  large  number,  not  a 
few  entering  the  ministry." 

The  building  has,  during  all  these  years,  until  1888,  been 
occui)ied,  with  but  short  intermissions,  as  a  school  of  some 
kind — either  as  an  academy  or  a  normal  school.     In   1858  it 


EEV.    JAMES  ROBINSON.  65 

passed  from  the  special  regard  of  the  Presbytery.     It   was,  in 
its  day,  an  institution  fruitful  of  great  good. 


MINISTERS  AND  CHURCHES,  1832-]836. 

On  the  10th  of  April,  1832,  Rev.  Eldad  Barber  was  received 
from  the  Presbytery  of  Columbus,  entering  immediately  upon 
his  duties  as  Principal  of  the  Huron  Institute.  On  the  same 
day.  Rev.  John  Beach  was  dismissed  to  the  Presbytery  of  De- 
troit, and  Rev.  H.  Cowles  to  that  of  Grand  River. 

The  Rev.  David  Smith  was  received  from  the  Presbytery  of 
Erie  on  the  11th  of  September. 

On  the  7th  of  January  the  church  of  Florence  was  organ- 
ized, and  on  the  22d  of  April  was  organized  the  church  of 
Scipio  (Republic). 

The  church  of  Tiffin,  though  organized  February  13,  1830, 
and  probably  temporarily  constituted  as  early  as  1828,  appears, 
by  its  delegate  and  records,  for  the  first  time  in  Presbytery 
April  9,  1833. 

The  church  of  Venice  (Attica)  was  formed  September  24, 
1833 ;  and  the  church  of  Lower  Sandusky  (Fremont),  Novem- 
ber 30,  of  the  same  year. 

October  8th,  Mr.  Elroy  Bascom,  a  licentiate  from  the  Middle- 
sex Association,  was  received,  and,  after  the  usual  process,  his 
name  was  added  to  the  roll  by  his  ordination  to  the  Gospel 
ministry. 

REV.  JAMES  ROBINSON. 

In  this  same  year,  1833,  September  11th,  Rev.  James  Robin- 
son was  dismissed  to  the  Presbytery  of  Richland.  Mr.  Robin- 
son had  been,  for  over  five  years,  one  of  the  useful  men  in  the 
Presbytery.  He  came  from  the  Presbytery  of  Columbus.  He 
had  gathered  a  congregation  of  worshipers  in  the  region  of 
Melmore,  Seneca  County.  He  reported  this  fact  to  the  first 
meeting  of  Huron  Presbytery  that  he  attended  when  he  be- 
came a  member  of  it ;  and  in  connection  with  Rev.  E.  Conger 
5 


66  HISTORY  OF  HURON  PRESBYTERY. 

he  organized  there  a  church,  on  the  13th  of  October,  1828,  with 
twenty-seven  members.  He  also  gathered  together  the  con- 
gregation of  Presbyterians  in  Tiffin  in  the  summer  of  1828, 
and  organized  there  a  church  on  the  13th  of  February,  1830, 
witli  sixteen  members.  The  church  of  Republic  was  also,  in 
part,  the  fruit  of  his  missionary  labors. 

There  are  yet  those  in  Tiffin  who  remember  his  appearance, 
his  manner  of  preaching,  especially  his  long  sermons,  and  his 
character.  He  is  said  to  have  been  a  man  of  very  respectable 
and  ministerial  appearance.  His  clothing  was  neat  and  be- 
coming ;  his  manners  were  polished  and  affable.  He  was  an 
earnest,  able,  and  faithful  minister  of  the  Word — a  man  well 
suited  to  the  work  of  a  pioneer  in  the  Master's  kingdom.  We 
have  been  told  also  by  an  old  resident  who  knew  him  well 
that  he  was  a  fine  singer,  and  rendered  not  only  enjoyment 
but  also  help  to  the  new  communities  in  giving  instruction  in 
this  art. 

EEV.  LOREN  ROBBINS. 

Quite  different  were  the  impressions  left  by  Rev.  Loren  Rob- 
bins.  He  had  come  from  the  East  in  1831  as  a  licentiate,  and 
was  ordained  by  the  Presbytery.  He  only  remained,  however, 
for  about  a  year,  when  he  returned  to  the  East  and  settled  there, 
without  any  regard  to  his  Presbyter)^  Some  correspondence 
was  had  with  him,  or  rather  letters  were  written  to  him,  regard- 
ing his  disorderly  conduct.  To  this  he  paid  but  little  attention. 
He  seems  not  to  have  at  anytime  asked  for  a  letter  of  dismissal, 
and  never  received  one.  As  nothing  could  be  done  with  him. 
his  name  was  eventually  dropped  from  the  roll. 


OTHER  MINISTERS. 

During  the  year  1834  three  ministers  were  added,  namely : 
Rev.  Thomas  Kennan,  from  the  Presbyter}^  of  St.  Lawrence; 
Rev.  Chapin  R.  Clarke,  from  the  Presbytery  of  Cayuga,  and 
Rev.  Stephen  Saunders,  from  the  Presbytery  of  Bedford. 


BEV.    DR.    NEWTON.  67 

These  were  all  received  on  the  same  day,  September  10th. 

In  1835  five  ministers  were  received  and  enrolled.  On  the 
13th  of  January,  at  a  special  meeting  in  Bloom,  Rev.  J.  W. 
Beecher  was  received  from  the  Union  Presbytery,  Tennessee, 
and  on  the  same  day  Mr.  John  IMcCAitcheon,  a  licentiate  of 
the  Presbytery  of  Columbus,  who  had  been  preaching  within 
the  bounds  of  Huron  Presbytery  for  more  than  a  year,  as  an 
evangelist,  was  received  by  letter,  examined,  and  then  ordained 
to  the  ministry. 

April  14th,  Rev.  Bennet  Roberts  wasireceived  from  the  AVash- 
ington  County  Conference,  of  Maine. 

September  30th,  Rev.  Joseph  Crawford  was  received  from  the 
Presbytery  of  Bath,  and  on  the  same  day  ]\Ir.  Alfred  Newton, 
a  licentiate  of  the  Western  Association,  of  Xew  Haven,  Con- 
necticut, was  received,  and  became  a  member  of  Presbytery  by 
his  ordination  to  the  ministrv. 


REV.  ALFRED  NEWTON. 

This  brother,  Mr.  Newton,  came  to  the  Presbytery  in  his 
youth  to  take  charge  of  the  church  of  Norwalk.  Over  this 
church  he  was  installed  as  pastor,  and  here  he  remained,  a 
faithful  minister,  for  more  than  thirt^^-five  years,  when  he  re- 
signed the  pastorate.  After  this  he  still  abode  in  Norwalk, 
loved  and  honored,  until  the  Lord  called  him  to  his  rest  and 
reward,  at  a  good  old  age. 

Several  of  the  ministerial  members  of  the  Presbytery  at  this 
present  time  remember  the  endeared  name  and  the  pleasant 
face  of  Dr.  Alfred  Newton,  and  to  those  of  us  who  do,  he  thus 
stands  as  the  only  link  connecting  the  present  with  the  past. 
He  belonged  to  the  early  and  the  trying  history  of  this  bod}^ 
We  have  seen  him  and  loved  him,  but  we  never  saw  one  of 
those  whose  names  appear  before  his  upon  the  Presbyterial  roll. 


68  HISTORY  OF  HURON  PRESBYTERY. 

DISMISSALS  AND  DEATH. 

Three  ministers  were,  in  1835,  dismissed  to  otlier  bodies: 
April  15th,  Rev.  Elroy  Bascom,  to  the  Presbytery  of  Athens ;  July 
15th,  Rev.  Chapin  R.  Clarke,  to  tlie  Presbytery  of  Cleveland ;  July 
15th,  Rev.  John  II.  Russ,  to  the  Presbytery  of  Cleveland ;  and 
on  the  3d  of  June  the  Presbytery  were  called  upon  to  chronicle 
their  first  removal  of  a  member  by  death.  On  that  day  Rev. 
Stephen  Saunders  died.  He  had  been  a  member  of  the  body 
for  only  about  nine  months,  and  no  further  record  is  made  of 
the  man  beyond  the  simple  fact  of  his  death. 


OTHER  ADDITIONS  OF  MEN  AND  CHURCHES. 

In  1836  two  ministers  were  added.  April  loth,  Rev.  Joseph 
Edwards  was  received  from  the  Presbytery  of  Cleveland,  and 
on  the  same  da}''  Rev.  Alvan  Nash  was  received  from  Portage 
Presbytery.  On  the  14th  of  July  he  was  installed  pastor  of 
the  church  of  Sandusky.  August  20,  1834,  the  church  of 
Ripley  was  organized.  January  13,  1835,  the  church  of  Bloom 
was  organized.  November  13,  1835,  the  church  of  Perrysburg 
was  organized.  February  10,  1835,  the  church  of  Huron  was 
organized.  April  30,  1835,  the  church  of  Bronson  was  organ- 
ized. September  19,  183fi,  the  church  of  Bellevue  was  organ- 
ized, and  on  the  13th  of  April,  1836,  Rev.  Bennet  Roberts  was 
dismissed  to  the  Presb3^tery  of  Athens. 


REV.  JOSEPH  CRAWFORD  DISCIPLINED. 

The  Presbytery,  on  the  21st  of  June,  1836,  performed  the 
unpleasant  duty  of  subjecting  one  of  the  ministers  of  the  body 
to  a  trial  for  misdemeanor.  Rev.  Joseph  Crawford  had  only 
been  received  in  the  September  previous.  Now  he  comes  before 
his  brethren  to  meet,  in  solemn  session  of  a  judiciar}'  court  of 
the  Lord  Jesus,  the  charge  of  unchristian  conduct,  in  neglect- 
ing the  house  of  God,  neglecting  family  prayer,  and  permitting 


OTHER   CASES   OF  CASUISTRY.  69 

ardent  spirits  to  be  used  on  his  premises.  These  were  certainly 
serious  charges  to  be  brought  against  any  professing  Cliristian, 
and  especially  against  a  minister.  They  were  not  all  sustained 
in  the  trial.  Some  explanations  were  made  which  seemed  to 
})alliate  somewhat  the  facts  that  were  proven,  and  even 
admitted.  And  yet  enough  was  proven  and  left  unpalliated  to 
require  a  solemn  reproof  and  admonition  from  the  Presbytery, 
which  w^as  given.  Unfortunately,  as  so  often  happens,  the 
reproof  did  not  result  in  a  radical  change  in  the  man.  He 
never  was  of  any  benefit  to  the  Presbytery  or  to  the  Church. 
He  continued  to  be  a  crooked  stick,  perhaps  not  attempting  to 
preach  much,  for  some  years,  when  the  same  charges  were 
renewed. 

OTHP]R  CASES  OF  CASUISTRY. 

It  would  seem  that  somewhere  there  were  difficulties  between 
brethren  in  the  churches,  and  perhaps  some  were  appealing  to 
the  world  to  help  to  a  settlement  of  the  difficulties.  As  a 
result,  the  question  was  brought  to  the  Presbytery  and  their 
judgment  solicited  thereon — "  Whether  a  Christian  lias  a  right  to 
go  to  law  with  a  brother  ?  " 

The  answer  returned  by  the  body  was  that  one  should 
never  do  so  until  all  other  possible  means  of  redress  had  been 
employed,  and  that  redress  of  all  grievances  should  first,  and 
mainly,  be  sought  in  the  Church,  as  between  brother  and 
brother. 

The  matter  of  the  desecration  of  the  Sabbatli  also  demanded 
attention,  and  great  sorrow  was  expressed  in  view  of  the 
appalling  extent  of  this  sin,  and  the  churches  were  enjoined 
to  bring  to  account  those  members  w^ho  were  guilty  of  it, 
while  all  unnecessary  traveling  and  visiting  on  the  Lord's  Day 
was  condemned. 

In  this  connection  the  attention  of  the  Presbytery  was  called 
to  the  fact  that  a  minister  from  another  body,  a  Rev.  Mr.  Curry, 
of  the  Presbytery  of  Mechlenburgh,  Kentucky,  on  his  way  as 
a  Commissioner  to  the  General  Assembly  did  openly  desecrate 


70  HISTORY    OF  III  RON  I'RESIiYTERY. 

the  Sabbath.  Tliis  he  did  l)y  traveling  on  that  day,  and  with- 
out any  excuse,  in  a  })ul)Hc  conveyance  from  ]\ran.stield  to  Tort- 
land. 

The  Presbytery,  after  hearing  the  facts  and  considering  the 
question  of  duty,  passed  a  resolution  directing  their  stated 
clerk  to  inform  the  stated  clerk  of  the  said  Presbyter}-  of 
Mechlenburgh  that  Mr.  Curry  had  so  conducted  himself  on  his 
way  to  the  Assembly.  With  this  discharge  of  duty,  the  case  of 
this  erring  traveler  here  endeth,  so  far  as  the  Huron  Presbytery 
was  concerned. 

The  case,  however,  was  duly  attended  to  in  Kentucky.  The 
brother  acknowledged  his  error,  and,  by  proi)er  confession, 
made  satisfaction  to  his  Presbytery,  of  which  fact  report  was 
made  to  the  stated  clerk  of  this  bod3^ 


NEW  CONFESSION  OF  FAITH. 

There  had  been  some  talk  as  to  the  propriety  of  revising  the 
Confession  of  Faith  and  Covenant  prepared  at  the  organization 
of  the  Presbytery  for  use  in  the  Congregational  churches.  There 
had  also  developed  a  disposition  to  make  all  the  churches  more 
homogeneous,  both  in  doctrine  and  government,  and  at  the 
April  meeting  in  1833  a  resolution  was  adopted  recommending 
each  church  to  become  so  organized  as  to  afford  to  each  mem- 
ber the  privilege  of  being  disciplined  according  to  his  own 
choice,  either  as  a  Congregationalist  or  Presbyterian.  In  the 
Constitution  of  some  of  the  churches  of  both  classes  this 
would  require  some  change,  but  it  was  believed  to  be  in  ac- 
cordance with  the  Plan  of  Union,  which  the  Presbytery,  and 
the  churches  also,  were  supposed  to  have  in  view. 

For  the  revision  of  the  Confession  of  Faith  and  Covenant,  a 
committee  had  been  appointed  in  April,  1832,  consisting  of 
Messrs.  Conger,  Judson,  and  Elder  John  Seymour.  This  Com- 
mittee reported  a  Confession  and  Covenant  prepared  by  them, 
at  the  next  meeting  of  the  bod}-,  in  September.  After  some 
discussion  of  the  report  it  was    decided  to  defer  the  whole 


NEW  COiVFESSIOX  OF  FAITH.  71 

matter  to  the  next  stated  meeting,  in  April,  1833,  and  another 
committee  was  appointed,  consisting  of  Messrs.  Bradstreet, 
Dunton,  and  Elder  Parish,  whose  duty  was  to  prepare  another 
Confession  of  Faith,  containing  such  doctrines  only,  with  the 
Scripture  proofs,  as  evangelical  and  enlightened  Christians  of  all 
denominations  receive,  and  such  only  as  are  fundamental  and 
essential  to  salvation.  The  idea  underlying  all  this  would  go 
far  toward  making  an}^  Confession  of  Faith  or  distinct  Creed  un- 
necessary if  fully  exemplified,  as  certain  doctrines  regarded  as 
fundamental  by  many  are  not  even  believed  by  some  others. 

It  is  probable  that  the  brethren  discovered  that  such  a  Creed 
would,  of  necessity,  leave  out  so  much  as  to  be  about  valueless. 
In  due  time  this  Committee  reported,  and  both  reports  being 
now  before  the  Presbytery,  a  third  committee,  consisting  of  the 
chairmen  of  the  former  two,  with  four  others  added,  was  ap- 
pointed to  compare  the  two  Confessions  and,  if  possible,  agree 
upon  one  which  they  could  commend  for  the  adoption  of  Pres- 
bytery. 

In  September,  1833,  this  Committee,  having  succeeded  in  an 
agreement,  presented  a  revised  Creed  and  Covenant,  which, 
after  careful  consideration,  was  adopted. 

The  changes  made  in  the  former  Confession  of  Faith  are  so 
few  that  the  new  one  hardly  deserves  to  be  called  a  revision. 
The  number  of  articles  of  belief  are  the  same  in  both,  and  the 
substance  and  sentiment  are  exactly  the  same,  except  that  in 
Article  7,  regarding  election,  the  statement  in  the  old  that  "  all 
those  whom  He  has  not  thus  elected  are  left  to  pursue  their 
own  chosen  way,  and  to  suffer  the  punishment  due  to  their 
sins,"  is  wanting  in  the  new.  In  the  last  three  articles  there 
is  a  change  of  place  only. 

In  the  Covenant  the  change  made  was  not  material.  The 
doctrines  and  spirit  of  both  the  Creed  and  the  Covenant  remain 
soundly  Calvinistic.  Most  of  the  articles  are  such  that  most 
enlightened  Christians  can  receive  them,  and  are  so  clearly 
Scriptural  that  all  should.  Another  committee  was  appointed 
to  select  and  arrange  the  proof  texts  from  the  Scriptures,  and 
publish  the  whole,  so  as  to  be  within  reach  of  all  the  churches. 


CHAPTER  IV. 
THE  IMPENDING  CRISIS. 

There  is  to  be  observed  in  tlie  records  of  Huron  Presbytery 
a  loyal  disposition  toward  the  General  Assembly.  The  acts  of 
the  Assembly  were  noted  and  approved,  and,  where  occasion 
called  for  it,  they  were  commended  to  the  churches. 

There  were  several  respects,  however,  in  which  great  difficulties 
were  felt  to  be  in  the  way  of  full  accord  with  all  that  was  ex- 
pected of  the  Presbytery  and  of  the  cliurches.  It  was  an  irre- 
pressible fact  that  the  churches  were  partly  Congregational, 
and  the  Presbytery  earnestly  sought  to  be  true  to  the  terms  of 
the  "  Plan  of  Union  "  and  to  the  circumstances  of  their  situa- 
tion. As  the  years  sped  onward,  and  as  the  pressure  from 
abroad  increased,  the  difficulties  were  evidently  multiplying. 
The  Presbytery  could  not  meet  all  the  expectations  of  the  Pres- 
byterian Church  throughout  the  land,  nor  could  they  satisfy 
the  demands  of  Congregationalism. 


FIRST  TROUBLED  WATERS. 

The  first  time  the  acts  of  the  General  Assembly  were  ques- 
tioned was  in  the  year  1828.  The  waters  then  seem  to  have 
been  just  a  little  ruffled,  and  the  difficulties  of  the  situation  are 
becoming  manifest. 

As  would  appear  from  the  records,  the  occasion  was  not  a 
very  serious  one.  Doubtless  there  was  more  in  it  than  lies  upon 
the  surface.  The  Assembly  was  at  least  thought  to  be  pressing 
upon  the  toes  of  the  Presbytery.  The  matter  in  hand  had 
reference  to  sessional  reports  which  were  to  be  prepared  for  the 
Presbytery,  and  wiiicli  were  to  constitute  the  substance  of  the 

72 


FIRST  TROUBLED    WATERS.  73 

Presbyterial  report  to  the  Assembly.  The  higher  judicatory 
had  sent  down  its  form  for  such  reports,  and  required  that 
in  the  column  headed  "  Missionary  Funds"  all  moneys  collected 
for  any  evangelical  mission  should  be  inserted,  and  particularly 
all  sums  collected  for  the  Board  of  Missions  under  the  care  of 
the  General  Assembly,  for  the  American  Home  Missionary 
Society,  and  for  the  American  Board  of  Commissioners  for  For- 
eign Missions.  In  addition  to  this,  full  directions  were  given 
for  all  other  items  in  the  sessional  reports  to  the  Presbytery, 
Then  it  w^as  further  added,  "  That  the  stated  clerk  of  each 
session  is  directed  to  make  out,  in  each  year,  the  sessional  re- 
port to  Presbyter}^  up  to  the  1st  of  April,  and  transmit  the  same 
to  the  stated  clerk  of  that  Presbytery  to  which  the  session  be- 
longs; and  the  stated  clerk  of  Presbytery,  on  or  before  the  1st 
day  of  May  in  each  year,  was  required  to  transmit  by  mail  to 
the  stated  clerk  of  the  General  Assembly  a  Presbyterial  report, 
bearing  date  of  April  1st,  prepared  from  the  sessional  reports, 
according  to  the  foregoing  directions." 

There  was  something  in  these  requirements  that  did  not  meet 
the  favor  of  the  members  of  Huron  Presbytery.  This  body,  on 
the  20th  of  August,  1828,  declared  "that,  in  their  opinion,  the 
stated  clerks  of  sessions  and  of  Presbyteries  can  properly  be 
directed  only  by  the  judicatories  to  which  they  respectively 
belong;  and  that  the  General  Assembly,  in  their  direction  to 
these  officers,  as  recorded  in  their  printed  minutes,  have  as- 
sumed a  jurisdiction  which  they  do  not  possess,  and  have  trans- 
cended the  powers  vested  in  them  by  the  Constitution  of  our 
Church." 

They  declared  further, "  that  the  local  situation  of  the  churches 
under  their  care  was  such  as  to  render  a  compliance  with  the 
directions  of  the  Assembly,  above  referred  to,  impracticable." 

What  the  special  points  in  the  difficult}^  were  is  not  made 
clear,  or  where  the  unreasonableness  of  the  Assembly's  require- 
ments lay  is  not  specified.  The  Presbj^tery  was  giving  its  con- 
tributions to  the  American  Boards,  and  not  to  that  of  the  Gen- 
eral Assembly,  and  some  of  the  churches  did  not  have  a  session. 


74  HISTORY  OF  HURON  PRESBYTERY. 

or  11  stated  clerk  of  session,  wlio  would  feel  the  obligation  to 
respond  to  the  requirements  sent  down  to  such  officers.  These 
facts  were  doubtless  in  the  minds  of  the  members  of  the  Pres- 
bytery when  they  spoke  of  the  "  local  situation  of  the  churches 
under  their  care,"  and  they  doubtless  regarded  the  requirement 
as  somewhat  of  the  nature  of  a  general  inquisition.  In  three 
3'-ears  from  this  time  we  find  a  resolution  before  the  body  de- 
claring that  thereafter  it  should  not  be  required  of  their  churches, 
in  making  their  statistical  reports,  to  give  any  account  of  their 
benevolent  contributions.  This  was,  however,  indefinitely  post- 
poned, as  was  also  another  resolution  requiring  all  committee- 
men in  the  churches  to  be  ordained  as  elders  before  they  could 
again  sit  as  commissioners  in  the  Presbytery  or  tlie  Synod. 
The  former  of  these  resolutions  would  have  been  resistance  to 
the  Assembly;  the  latter  would  have  been  the  nullification  of 
the  "  Plan  of  Union." 

At  all  events,  we  have  in  this  action  of  the  Presbytery,  in 
1828,  a  slight  admonition  of  the  fact  that  Presbyterians  in  gen- 
eral, and  especially  those  unacquainted  with  the  state  of  things 
in  the  Western  Reserve,  could  not  see  in  all  respects  just  as  the 
men  in  the  midst  of  the  mixed  relation  of  the  churches,  and  in 
churches  which  had  been  so  largely  aided  by  the  American 
Home  Missionary  Society,  or  its  predecessor  on  these  grounds, 
the  Missionary  Society  of  Connecticut,  must  and  did  see. 


HOME  MISSIONS  AND  CINCINNATI  CONVENTION. 

The  subject  of  home  missions  was  one  which  was  destined 
to  create  no  little  vexation  throughout  the  churches,  and 
especially  in  the  church  judicatories.  It  was  during  these 
years,  constantly  harassing  in  the  Assembly,  in  the  Synods, 
and  in  the  Presbyteries. 

The  desire  to  evangelize  the  Western  country,  with  its  grow- 
ing populations,  was  one  which  found  a  place  in  the  minds  of 
ministers  and  churclies.  But  there  was  conflict  as  to  the  organ- 
izations through  which  the  object  was  to  be  attained.     There 


H03IE  MISSIONS  AND   CINCINNATI  CONVENTION.  75 

was  the  Presbyterian  Board  of  Home  Missions,  which  was 
organized  in  1816  and  reorganized  in  1828,  and  to  which,  in 
1829,  the  Synod  of  Pittsburgh,  which  had  borne  the  "  stile  of  the 
Western  Missionary  Society"  since  1802,  and  which  had  been, 
in  all  those  years,  carrying  forward  missionary  operations  in  the 
West,  transferred  its  work  and  its  funds. 

And  there  was  the  American  Home  Missionary  Societ}', 
which  had  been  organized  in  182G  by  the  union  of  several 
independent  missionary  associations. 

Both  of  these  organizations  were  looking  toward  the  West, 
seeking  and  finding  men  to  occupy  the  opening  fields  and 
money  to  support  them.  The  American  Society  claimed  the 
support  of  all  the  churches,  not  only  of  those  that  were  Con- 
gregational, but  also  of  the  Presbyterian,  the  Associate 
Reformed,  and  the  Dutch  Reformed  ;  and  it  received  aid  largely 
from  all  of  these  sources,  supporting  also  missionaries  of  these 
various  denominations. 

The  Presbyterian  Board  claimed,  in  its  efforts,  the  support 
of  the  Presbyterian  churches  and  the  Presbyteries  which  were 
under  the  care  of  the  General  Assembl3^ 

Efforts  had  been  made  toward  peace  and  harmony,  in  the 
belief  that  both  the  Board  and  the  Society  could  labor  for  the 
same  object,  in  the  same  regions,  without  detriment  to  each 
other,  and  wishing  each  other  God's  blessing.  These  efforts 
had  failed.  Naturally  enough,  and  surely  justly  enough, 
Presbyterians  determined  to  keep  alive  their  own  Board,  which 
was  the  older,  and  which  had,  as  the  Western  Missionary 
Society,  been  carrying  forward  missionar}^  operations  in  the 
West  since  1802,  as  early  as  the  Missionary  Society  of  Con- 
necticut. 

It  was,  however,  felt  that  great  evils  were  resulting  from  the 
conflicting  action  of  the  Board  and  the  Society,  and  that 
something  should  be  done  to  promote,  in  greater  harmony,  the 
interests  of  Christ's  Kingdom  in  the  regions  under  considera- 
tion. 

This  all-absorbing  subject  came  before  the  General  Assembly 


76  HISTORY  OF  HURON  PRESBYTERY. 

of  1831.  Tliere  was  great  division  of  sentiment.  The  feeling, 
indeed,  in  that  body  reached  high  fever  lieat.  Eacli  of  the 
great  missionary  organizations  had  its  friends.  Many  desired 
that  the  Presbyterian  Board  should  give  place  to  the  American 
Society,  and  thought  that  more  good  could  be  accomplished  by 
one  great,  united  society  than  by  the  two  organizations.  An 
effort  was  made  to  amalgamate  the  two.  All  plans  to  this  end, 
however,  failed.  Finally,  a  committee  of  compromise  was  ap- 
pointed. This  Committee  reported  according  to  the  desire  of 
the  friends  of  the  American  Society.  The  leading  thought  in 
their  report  was  that  the  Presbyteries  and  churches  in  the  West 
should  really  settle  the  matter  by  coming  to  some  agreement 
in  conference  among  themselves  as  to  what  was  best.  The  full 
report  of  this  Committee  was  as  follows : — 

"  In  view  of  existing  evils,  resulting  from  the  separate  action 
of  the  Board  of  Home  Missions  of  the  General  Assembly  and  the 
American  Home  Missionary  Society,  the  General  Assembly 
recommends  to  the  Synods  of  Ohio,  Cincinnati,  Kentucky. 
Tennessee,  West  Tennessee,  Indiana,  and  Illinois,  and  the 
Presbyteries  connected  with  the  same,  to  correspond  with  each 
other,  and  endeavor  to  agree  upon  some  plan  of  conducting 
domestic  missions  in  the  Western  States,  and  report  the  result 
of  their  correspondence  to  the  next  General  Assembly ;  it  being 
understood  that  the  brethren  of  the  West  be  left  to  their  free- 
dom to  form  any  organization  which,  in  their  judgment,  may 
best  promote  the  cause  of  missions  in  those  States ;  and,  also, 
that  all  the  Synods  and  Presbyteries  in  the  valley  of  the  Missis- 
sippi may  be  embraced  in  this  correspondence,  provided  they 
desire  it." 

It  was  also  resolved  by  the  Assembly  that  the  existing  Board 
of  Missions  be  reappointed.  A  large  majority  of  the  body 
adopted  the  above  paper. 

In  accordance  with  this  action  of  the  General  Assembly  the 
Presbytery  of  Huron,  at  its  meeting  in  September,  1831,  re- 
ceived a  notice  signed  by  Rev.  J.  Thompson,  chairman  of  the 
committee  to  whom  the  matter  had  been  eventually  referred 


HOME  MISSIONS  AND   CINCINNATI  CONVENTION.  77 

to  make  arrangements  for  a  convention,  calling  the  convention 
to  meet  in  Cincinnati  on  the  23d  of  November  following.  They 
also,  along  with  this  notice,  received  a  circular  from  the  Presby- 
tery of  West  Lexington  regarding  the  organization  of  the  con- 
vention. This  Presbyter}^  had  proposed  a  plan  for  the  said 
organization  which  had  been  endorsed  b}'-  several  other  presby- 
teries and  by  the  Committee  of  which  the  Rev.  J.  Thompson 
was  chairman.  In  the  plan  it  was  declared  "  desirable  and 
expedient  that  all  the  Presbyteries  in  the  valley  be  represented  ; 
that  their  representation  be  upon  the  ratio  to  which  they  are 
entitled  in  the  Assembly  ;  that  if  distant  presbyteries  send  a 
less  number  than  their  ratio  the}^  still  should  be  entitled  to 
their  full  vote ;  that  if  any  presbytery  be  unable  to  send  dele- 
gates it  should  forward  an  answer  to  the  question,  '  To  what 
plan  for  conducting  missions  in  the  valley  of  the  Mississippi 
would  your  Presb3'tery  give  the  preference?'  and  that  no 
delegate  be  sent  who  has  not  been  regularly  ordained  to  the 
ministry  or  eldership,  after  taking  the  prescribed  obligations  to 
the  Constitution." 

Upon  this  notice  and  circular  a  committee  of  Presbytery,  com- 
posed of  Messrs.  Judson,  Higgins,  and  Hamilton,  reported  a 
j)aper,  which  was  adopted,  in  which  is  expressed  a  deep  interest 
in  the  object  of  the  action  of  the  General  Assembly  in  pursu- 
ance of  which  the  proposed  convention  was  called.  The  answer 
of  the  Presbytery  is  also  given  to  the  question  proposed :  "  To 
what  plan  of  conducting  domestic  missions  in  the  Western 
country  would  your  Presbytery  give  the  preference?"  The 
answer  is,  "  We  are  decidedly  of  opinion  that  the  interests  of 
religion,  the  cause  of  the  Presbyterian  Church,  and  the  necessity 
of  the  moral  wastes  of  the  West  require  that  an  association  or 
society  for  domestic  missions  should  be  formed,  having  its 
centre  of  operations  in  Cincinnati  or  some  other  convenient 
place  in  the  Western  country;  that  this  societ}'  should  be 
formed  by  the  delegates  to  the  convention  while  they  are 
together ;  that  an  Executive  Committee  or  Board  of  Directors 
be  appointed  to  enter  immediately  upon  the  business  of  the 


78  HISTORY  OF  HURON  PRESnVTERV. 

society;  and  that  such  committee  or  directors,  elected  from  time 
to  time  at  the  stated  meetings  of  the  society  shouhl  be  author- 
ized to  manage  all  the  business  of  the  society  during  its  recess  ; 
and  that  the  society,  when  formed,  should  be  auxiliary  neither 
to  the  American  Home  Missionary  Society  nor  to  the  Assem- 
bly's Board  of  Missions,  but  co-operate  with  both  or  either  of 
them  on  such  terms  as  may  be  mutually  agreed  upon  by  the 
Western  Society  and  the  above-named  board  and  society." 

Such  an  organization,  they  believed,  would  effectually  remove 
the  evils  alluded  to  in  the  resolutions  of  the  General  Assembly. 

Two  ministers,  Messrs  Conger  and  Betts,  and  two  elders,  D. 
Everett  and  H.  M.  Clarke,  were  appointed  to  attend  the  conven- 
tion ;  and  it  was  decided  that  in  case  of  the  failure  of  these 
delegates,  tlie  Rev.  D.  W.  Lathrop,  of  the  Presbytery  of  Cleve- 
land, was  authorized  to  act  in  their  behalf  on  any  question 
that  might  come  before  the  convention. 

The  Cincinnati  Convention  met  at  the  appointed  time.  On 
the  third  day  of  its  sessions  a  proposition  was  made  to  organize 
a  Western  Board  of  Missions  similar  to  that  suggested  in  the 
above  action  of  Huron  Presbytery.  It  was,  however,  rejected 
by  a  vote  of  forty -one  to  twenty-eight.  (3ther  suggestions  were 
tried  and  defeated.  Finally,  after  the  sessions  of  six  days,  the 
result  was  embodied  in  the  following  minute : — 

"  Whereas,  It  appears  from  the  report  of  the  Committee  to 
receive  and  report  all  written  communications  to  the  Conven- 
tion, that  of  the  Presbyteries  in  the  valley  of  the  Mississippi, 
fifteen,  entitled  to  forty-two  votes,  have  not  been  heard  from  ; 
that  one,  entitled  to  two  votes,  is  in  favor  of  the  American  Home 
Missionary  Society  ;  that  one,  entitled  to  four  votes,  is  in  favor 
of  both  Boards  as  they  now  exist ;  that  two,  entitled  to  eight 
votes,  are  in  favor  of  an  independent  Western  society ;  that  one. 
entitled  to  two  votes,  is  in  favor  of  ecclesiastical  supervision : 
and  that  seven,  entitled  to  twenty-two  votes,  are  in  favor  of  the 
General  Assembly's  Board  in  its  present  oganization ;  and 

"  Whereas,  Twenty  Presbyteries,  entitled  to  seventy  votes, 
being  actually  present  in  the  Convention,  a  plan  for  the  estab- 


HOME  MISSIONS  AND   CINCINNATI  CONVENTION.  79 

lishmeiit  of  a  Western  Board  of  Missions,  under  the  care  of  the 
General  Assembly,  after  full  discussion,  has  been  rejected  by 
a  vote  of  forty -one  to  twenty-eight ;  and  as  it  appears  to  the 
Convention,  from  these  facts,  that  no  arrangement  into  which  we 
can  possibly  enter  is  likely  to  reconcile  conflicting  views  on  the 
subject ;  that,  so  far  from  healing  divisions,  or  restoring  peace 
to  the  churches,  by  any  new  expedients,  they  would  only  tend 
to  multiply  the  points  of  difference  and  increase  the  evil ; 
therefore, 

"Resolved,  That,  under  these  circumstances, -they  deem  it 
inexpedient  to  propose  any  change  in  the  General  Assemblj^'s 
mode  of  conducting  missions,  as  they  fully  approve  of  ihat 
now  in  successful  operation ;  and  that  the  purity,  peace,  and 
prosperity  of  the  Presbyterian  Church  materially  depend  on 
the  active  and  efficient  aid  the  Sessions  and  Presbyteries  under 
its  care  may  afford  to  the  Assembly's  Board." 

This  minute  was  adopted  by  fifty-four  ayes  to  fifteen  noes. 

Whether  the  delegates  from  Huron  Presbj'tery  were  present 
in  the  Convention  or  not  has  not  been  recorded.  The  Rev.  D. 
W.  Lathrop,  who  was  to  represent  them  in  case  of  their  absence, 
was  present,  and  stood  very  decidedly  with  the  minority  in 
their  views  and  actions.  Great  dissatisfaction  was  felt  by  the 
minority  with  the  course  and  results  of  the  Convention.  Mr. 
Lathrop  was  present  at  the  next  April  meeting  of  Huron 
Presbyter}^,  when  the  minutes  of  the  Convention  came  up  for 
review,  possibly,  however,  as  a  silent  spectator.  A  committee, 
consisting  of  Messrs.  Barber,  Cowles,  and  Edwards,  was  ap- 
pointed to  prepare  a  report  expressive  of  the  views  of  Presbytery 
upon  what  had  been  done. 

The  sympathies  of  the  body  were  with  the  minority,  and 
they  were  greatly  out  of  patience  with  the  vicAvs  of  the 
majority.  They  had  honestly  hoped  that  neither  the  Board 
of  the  Assembly  nor  the  American  Society  should  be  victorious 
in  the  Convention,  but  that  an  independent  missionary  organ- 
ization for  the  West  should  be  effected,  to  be  upon  friendly 
terms  with  botli  of  the  others  and  to  co-operate  with  them. 


80  HISTORY  OF  HURON  PRESBYTERY. 

Tliis,  tliey  tlioii<2;ht,  was  tlie  way  to  peace  and  to  successful 
missions.  The  friends  of  the  Presbyterian  Board  were,  liow- 
ever,  in  the  majority,  and  the  Board  was  in  the  end  sustained. 
The  disappointment  of  the  Presbytery  was  very  strongly 
expressed  in  the  report  of  the  Committee.  They  declare  that 
they  regard  the  action  of  the  majority  as  a  departure  from  the 
spirit  of  the  resolution  of  the  Assembly  authorizing  the  Con- 
vention, and  from  the  known  views  of  a  large  proportion  of 
the  Presbyterian  churches  in  the  West ;  such  a  departure  as 
ought  effectually  to  prevent  the  decisions  of  the  Convention 
from  having  any  weight  in  the  missionary  action  of  the  next 
General  Assembly. 

And  they  especially  deprecated,  as  a  violation  of  their  most 
sacred  obligations  as  Presbyterians  and  as  Christians,  any 
measures  tending  to  the  result,  as  they  supposed,  aimed  at  by 
the  majority,  of  the  exclusion  from  the  bounds  of  the  Presby- 
terian Church  of  a  Society  which  had  under  the  blessing  of 
God,  so  extensively  and  so  largely  benefited  this  Church  in 
the  Valley  of  the  Mississippi,  and  whose  operations  were,  even 
at  that  time,  so  signally  blessed  of  God,  as  the  American  Home 
Missionary  Society. 

These  views  of  the  Presbytery  were  placed  in  the  hands  of 
their  commissioners  to  the  Assembly.  But  the  great  contro- 
versy was  in  a  sense  terminated  by  the  action  of  the  Conven- 
tion. After  that  the  Board  of  Home  Missions  was  to  be 
regarded  as  an  established  fact,  and  it  was  to  pursue  its 
work  independently  in  the  Western  country.  The  sympathy  of 
Huron  Presbytery  for  the  American  Board  was  both  natural 
and  Christian.  The  whole  of  the  Western  Reserve  was  in  a 
sense  Connecticut  territory,  and  the  Missionary  Society  of 
Connecticut  had  from  the  first  of  the  century  sought  to  plant 
churches  on  these  grounds.  Men  had  been  sent  out  and 
supported  in  their  missionary  work,  and  Presbyterians  had 
been  supported  by  the  same  Society  and  in  the  same  territory. 
The  Presbyteries  owed  more  than  they  could  tell  to  this 
Society,   and  Huron  Presbytery  realized  the  debt  with  grate- 


RISE  OF  OBERLINISM.  81 

ful  remembrance.  And  as  the  American  Society  came  in 
eventually  to  cover  the  same  ground  and  to  pursue  the  same 
work,  the  good  men  of  the  Presbytery  and  of  the  churches  felt 
that  it  would  be  inconsistent  in  them  now  to  abandon  the 
parent  that  had  so  long,  and  in  times  of  great  trial,  nourished 
and  encouraged  them.  Who  can  fail  to  see  their  situation  or 
to  honor  their  motive  ? 


RISE  OF  OBERLINISM. 

Not  only  did  the  members  of  Huron  Presbytery  find  occa- 
sion to  differ  with  presbyteries  and  synods  in  other  parts  of  the 
land,  but  at  home,  on  the  Western  Reserve  and  in  their  own 
vicinity,  troubles  and  forebodings  of  division  were  beginning 
to  arise.  They  came  evidently  from  both  the  Congregational 
and  the  Presbyterian  sides.  There  were  many  of  both  denomi- 
nations who  were  not  satisfied  with  the  "  Plan  of  Union  " 
arrangement  for  presbyteries  and  churches.  The  dissatisfaction 
was  growing.  Much  of  the  trouble  doubtless  came  from  out- 
side pressure,  but  it  was  beginning  to  develop  within.  In 
Huron  Presbytery,  however,  nearly,  if  not  quite,  all  the  min- 
isters and  churches  hoped  that  no  divisions  would  occur. 

It  was  in  1833  that  Oberlin  College  was  founded.  Rev.  John 
J.  Shipherd,  who  was  pastor  of  the  Presbyterian  Church  in 
Elyria,  resigned  the  charge,  in  1832,  that  he  might  devote  his 
time  to  laying  the  foundations  for  an  institution  of  learning. 
Mr.  Shipherd  was  a  man  of  earnest  Christian  spirit,  a  man  of 
faith  and  of  prayer,  and  what  he  desired  was  to  secure  a  truly 
Christian  college  with  truly  Christian  surroundings.  He  cer- 
tainly did  lay  the  foundations  for  an  institution  whose  influence 
for  good  has  been  very  widely  and  powerfully  felt.  The  school 
was  opened  on  the  3d  of  December,  1833.  From  the  beginning 
its  progress  was  encouraging.  Without  any  such  direct  design 
on  the  part  of  its  founders,  along  with  its  development  there 
came  increasing  dangers  to  the  peace  and  unity  of  the  churches. 
This  fact  could  no  longer  be  disguised,  and  without  intimating 


82  HISTORY  OF  HURON  PRESBYTERY. 

anything  like  blame  toward  the  Oberlin  men  or  measures,  on 
the  15th  of  April,  1835,  a  strong  approval  was  voted  upon  the 
following  memorial,  which  was  brought  before  several  of  the 
Presbyteries  :  "  We,  the  undersigned  ministers  of  the  Gospel  on 
the  Western  Reserve,  deprecating  a  division  among  brethren, 
to  whicli,  in  the  present  aspect  of  things,  there  appears  to  be  a 
tendency,  would  respectfully  suggest,  as  the  means  of  prevent- 
ing it,  the  immediate  and  complete  organization  of  the  Theo- 
logical Department  of  the  Western  Reserve  College,  and  the 
appointment  of  the  Rev.  Charles  G.  Finney,  of  New  York,  as 
one  of  the  professors." 

This  resolution,  unanimously  adopted,  was  ordered  to  be 
signed  by  the  INEoderator  and  Clerk  and  forwarded  to  the  Presi- 
dent of  Western  Reserve  College. 

Mr.  Finney,  in  his  autobiography,  refers  to  an  invitation  to 
accept  a  professorship  in  this  institution.  But  the  times  were 
then  not  a  little  troublesome,  and  he  was  wanted  also  at  Ober- 
lin. About  this  time  there  had  been  a  breaking  up  of 
Lane  Seminary  on  account  of  the  prohibition  by  the  trustees 
of  the  discussion  of  the  slavery  question  by  the  students. 

Rev.  Asa  Mahan,  of  Cincinnati,  one  of  the  trustees  of  the 
Seminary,  had  stoutly  resisted  the  prohibition  of  free  discus- 
sion. In  January,  1835,  he  and  Rev.  John  J.  Shipherd  went 
to  New  York  to  persuade  Mr.  Finney  to  go  to  Oberlin  as 
Professor  of  Theology  there.  They  assured  him  that  the  disaf- 
fected students  of  Lane  would  become  his  pupils — that  they  had 
themselves  proposed  to  go  to  Oberlin  if  he  should  accept  the 
call.  The  desire  at  both  Hudson  and  Oberlin  to  secure  Mr. 
Finney  was  very  strong.  The  strife  was,  evidently,  somewhat 
warm. 

But  Mr.  Finney  went  to  Oberlin,  and  this  plan  of  the  Pres- 
bytery, and  of  others,  to  prevent  the  breaking  up  of  existing 
relations  was  defeated.  What  might  have  been  the  result  had 
Mr.  Finney  gone  to  Hudson,  different  from  what  it  was  upon 
the  Presbyterianism  of  the  Western  Reserve,  Avho  can  tell  ? 

There  was  an  awakening  of  Congregationalism  and  a  quick- 


SLAVERY.  83 

ening  of  denominational  zeal,  and  the  effects  were  realized  to 
some  extent  in  Huron  Presbytery. 

It  is  true  that  both  Mr.  Mahan  and  Mr.  Finney  "  were  Pres- 
byterian in  their  church  connections  before  going  to  Oberlin, 
and  had  no  special  leaning  to  Congregationalism,"  yet,  in  1834, 
a  Congregational  church  had  been  organized  at  Oberlin ;  and, 
although  received  under  the  care  of  the  Cleveland  Presbytery, 
this  church  was  represented  by  delegates  in  the  Convention,  in 
September,  1836,  when  a  Congregational  Association  for  the 
Western  Reserve  was  organized.  This  organization  was  con- 
summated at  Oberlin,  there  being  present  nine  ministers  and 
thirty-four  lay  delegates,  representing  twenty  churches. 

The  Oberlin  church  then  withdrew  from  the  Presbytery,  and 
in  a  few  years  all  the  professors  of  the  College  had  united  with 
the  Association. 

This  was  the  beginning  of  that  disintegration  and  separa- 
tion which  continued  its  progress  for  many  years,  even  down 
to  the  reunion  of  1870,  and  beyond  that. 


SLAVP]RY. 

No  other  question,  in  those  years,  so  agitated  the  nation  as 
did  the  subject  of  slavery,  and  in  no  part  of  the  country  was 
the  interest  more  deeply  felt  than  in  the  Western  Reserve.  The 
Presbytery  of  Huron  was  by  no  means  indifferent. 

There  the  slave  found  most  cordial  sympathy,  and  the  slave- 
holder strong  condemnation.  The  Presbytery  was  ever  ready 
to  pass  such  resolutions  as  a  high  Christian  sentiment  and  the 
exigencies  of  the  case  seemed  to  demand. 

On  the  13th  of  April,  1836,  certain  documents  were  received 
from  the  Presbytery  of  Chillicothe,  embodying  some  strong  anti- 
slavery  resolutions  passed  by  that  body,  whereupon,  at  the 
recommendation  of  a  committee,  consisting  of  Rev.  E.  Judson, 
Rev.  E.  Barber,  and  Elder  James  Boyd,  the  following  declara- 
tion was  made: — 

"  Whereas,  The  subject  of  slavery  is  exciting  a  deep  interest 


84  HISTORY  OF  HURON  PREHBYTERY. 

throughout  our  country ;  and  whereas,  the  discussion  of  it,  at 
the  present  time,  has  an  important  bearing,  not  only  on  the  re- 
lation of  master  and  slave,  but  also  upon  our  own  constitutional 
rights  as  citizens  of  a  free  State,  and  upon  our  relations  as 
members  of  the  Church  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ ;  therefore, 

"  Besolved,  1st.  That  the  time  has  come  when  this  Presbytery 
can  no  longer,  with  propriety,  withhold  an  expression  of  its 
opinion  upon  the  merits  of  the  question. 

"  2d.  That,  as  citizens  of  a  free  Republic,  we  feel  it  to  be  our 
duty  to  insist  upon  the  right  guaranteed  to  us  Ijy  the  Consti- 
tution of  the  United  States  and  by  this  State,  to  discuss  freely, 
w^hen  we  please,  the  merits  of  the  whole  question  of  Slavery." 

The  body  then  proceeds  to  adopt  the  resolutions  of  the  Presby- 
tery of  Chillicothe  as  its  own  sentiment.  These  resolutions 
condemned  the  giving  or  bequeathing  of  slaves,  to  children  or 
others,  as  property ;  the  selling  to  a  slave  his  own  liberty,  except 
when  he  had  been  bought  at  his  own  request  and  had  failed 
to  remunerate  his  master ;  the  offering  to  a  slave  his  liberty 
only  on  condition  that  he  leave  the  country ;  the  refusing  to 
give  to  an  emancipated  slave  a  reasonable  compensation  for 
his  labor,  when  the  master  is  able  to  do  so,  and  turning  him 
out  to  the  world  wdien  he  wishes  to  stay  as  a  tenant  or  hire- 
ling ;  the  advertising  of  a  reward  for  a  runaway  slave  when 
he  has  been  guilty  of  no  other  crime  than  running  away ;  the 
apprehending  of  a  slave  who  is  endeavoring  to  escape  from 
slavery ;  the  keeping  of  slaves  in  ignorance,  and  preventing 
them  from  learning  to  read  the  Word  of  God,  and  manifesting 
a  desire  to  keep  them  from  the  house  of  God,  excluding  them 
from  a  seat  in  it,  and  from  the  Lord's  table,  with  white  people. 

The  Presbj'^tery  also  assure  the  brethren  of  Chillicothe  Pres- 
bytery that  they  will  stand  by  them  in  the  defense  of  these 
resolutions  in  the  General  Assembly  or  elsewhere.  This  was  the 
only  Presbytery  that  so  heartily  endorsed  the  paper  sent  out  by 
the  Chillicothe  brethren,  as  appears  from  the  history  of  that 
body  by  Dr.  Galbraitli. 

This  subject  of  slavery  figures  largely  in  the  disturbances  of 


THE  PLAN  OF   UNION.  85 

the  time  in  churches,  presbyteries,  synods,  and  Assembly.  It 
may  have  had  some  influence,  as  is  claimed  by  some  and 
denied  by  others,  in  the  final  action  of  the  Assembly  of  1837. 
In  that  body  there  were  Southern  men,  and  many  excellent 
Northern  men,  who  were  indignant  against  the  extreme  anti- 
slavery  spirit  that  was  burning  strongly  in  the  regions  covered 
by  the  obnoxious  synods.  The  Synod  of  Western  Reserve, 
especially,  was  known  to  be  largely  anti-slavery ;  and  the 
foregoing  resolutions  show  the  attitude  of  Huron  Presbytery 
regarding  this  irrepressible  trouble.  That  some  influence  was 
felt  from  this  source  we  can  readily  believe,  though  there 
were  many  Old  School  men  who  were  as  decidedly  anti-slavery 
as  the  New ;  and  there  were  New  School  men  who  sought  to 
avoid  extremes  as  much  as  did  any  of  the  Old,  and  even  sought 
to  exercise  restraint  upon  the  subject  in  the  Assembly. 


THE  PLAN  OF  UNION. 

Slavery  was,  however,  by  no  means  the  chief  trouble  in  the 
Church  at  that  time.  The  real  difficulty  grew  out  of  the  "  Plan 
of  Union."  It  was  in  that  arrangement  as  the  fowl  is  in  the 
Qgg.  The  plan  was  an  honest,  earnest.  Christian  effort  to  have 
two  great  denominations  coalesce  and  to  continue  to  work 
together  as  though  they  were  one  without  becoming  one. 

Good  had  resulted  throughout  the  Western  Reserve  from  its 
earlier  operations.  The  time  really  was  when  it  seemed  to  be 
so  much  a  necessity  that  the  Christian  spirit  which  conceived 
and  adopted  it  in  both  Congregationalist  and  Presbyterian  can 
only  be  commended.  This  "  Plan  of  Union  "  had  its  day  in 
the  uniting  of  the  two  denominations  into  one  ecclesiasticism, 
and  in  keeping  alive,  organizing,  and  helping  the  growth  of 
feeble  churches  where  neither  one  of  the  denominations  could 
have  done  so  well.  But  when  we  think  of  it  fairly,  remember- 
ing the  weakness  of  human  nature  and  the  strength  of  sectarian 
prejudices    or    of    denominational   principles — prejudices    or 


86  JflSTORy   OF  ITU  HON  PUKSIiYTERY. 

principles  that  may  be  kept  in  subjection  to  jxilicy  or  {)ru(lence 
during  the  time  of  weakness,  but  which  become  hirger  and 
stronger  as  tlie  ability  and  opportunity  to  maintain  them 
increase, — we  can  hardly  wonder  that  difficulty  should  arise. 
Indeed,  the  wonder  would  be  in  the  other  direction. 

We  may  say  that  it  should  never  have  been  so,,  and  that 
most  of  the  ministers  and  churches  under  the  "  Plan  of  Union  " 
were  satisfied  and  were  working  along  successfully.  Still,  it 
was  not  so  with  all,  and  could  hardly  be  always  so  with  any 
wdiere  there  w^as  a  strong  element  of  the  two  denominations. 
There  is  a  difference  between  Congregationalism  and  Presby- 
terianism.  There  was  less  difference  in  1801  than  there  is 
now  or  was  in  1837.  The  difference  is  not  confined  wholly  to 
church  government,  but,  as  the  result  of  this,  reaches  out  into 
Christian  doctrines.  There  has  always  been  a  large  degree  of 
sound  Calvinism  in  the  Congregationalist  Church.  Some  of 
the  able  defenders  of  true  doctrine  have  been  in  that  body. 
But  there  is  a  tendency  to  latitudinarianism  in  creed  and 
preaching  which  is  more  manifest  to-day  than  it  was  when  the 
"  Plan  of  Union  "  was  adopted.  There  has  always  been  pre- 
sumed to  be  more  liberty  in  this  denomination  than  in  the 
Presbyterian.  The  differences  were  felt  by  both  ministers  and 
people.  Of  both  classes  new  men  were  ever  coming  from 
Congregationalist  New  England  on  the  one  hand,  who  said, 
"  These  churches  and  Presbj^teries  and  this  Synod  are  not 
Congregational."  And,  on  the  other  hand,  new  men,  ministers 
and  people,  were  coming  from  Presbyterian  regions  and 
churches  who  would  as  naturally  say,  "  These  churches  and 
Presbyteries  and  this  Synod  are  not  really  Presbyterian." 

So  the  fact  is  that  the  "  anomalous  ecclesiasticism  "  of  the 
Western  Reserve  was  between  two  fires — two  fires  threatening 
it  from  without  and  kindling  a  third  fire  from  within.  We 
are  told  of  one  Presbyterian  minister  who  was  so  dissatisfied 
wath  the  state  of  things  that  he  soon  sought  more  congenial 
regions.     How  many  others,  both  Congregational  and  Presby- 


THE  PLAN  OF   UNION.  87 

terian,  did  this  we  are  not  informed.  If  we  may  judge  from 
the  frequency  of  ministerial  changes,  there  were  quite  a 
number  whose  preferences  were  elsewhere. 

From  the  book  left  us  by  Rev.  William  Kennedy  on  "  The 
Plan  of  Union,"  we  gather  some  facts  and  suggestions.  He  says  • 
"  The  fraternal  union  and  harmony  of  the  churches  in  the 
Reserve  was  not  seriously  interrupted  before  the  year  1832. 
Occasionally,  even  from  the  first,  a  zealous  sectarian,  but 
recently  arrived,  would  put  forth  a  feeling  plea  for  the  eccle- 
siasticism  of  his  fathers.  A  few  hoped  in  time  to  see  the 
union  system  give  way  to  exclusive  Presbyterianism  or  to  pure 
Congregationalism. 

"  The  subject  began  to  be  agitated  mainl}^  by  new  men 
coming  into  the  Reserve  who  had  little  knowledge  of  the 
origin  or  history  of  the  churches.  A  crusade  was  preached 
against  all  denominationalism,  while  again  Congregationalism 
was  defended  as  against  Presbyterianism.  The  conflict  waxed 
warmer  and  warmer,  until,  in  1836,  the  Oberlin  movement 
arose,  resulting  in  the  formation  of  a  Congregational  Union  for 
the  Western  Reserve. 

"Most  of  the  Congregationalism  of  the  Reserve,  however, 
found  less  affinity  with  the  movement  than  with  Presbyte- 
rianism, and  remained  in  its  former  position. 

"  The  years  1836-7-8  formed  a  stormy  and  trying  time  for  the 
Synod.  Earnest,  faithful  men  and  churches  knew  not  what  to  do." 
..."  They  hoped  there  would  be  no  schism — hoping  against 
hope.  Many  Congregationalists  were  restless  under  what  they 
regarded  as  Presbyterianism.  On  the  other  hand,  a  large  pro- 
portion of  the  General  Assembly  were  denouncing  the  Synod 
of  the  Reserve  for  its  Congregational  irregularities." 

As  already  stated,  the  Plan  of  Union  was  promulgated  by 
the  Assembly  and  by  the  Congregationalist  body  in  1801,  and 
for  a  long  time  both  parties  were  satisfied  with  it.  But  suspi- 
cions and  doubts  began  to  arise.  The  denominational  feeling 
was  growing,  and  it  ceased  to  cherish,  in  its  vigor,  the  charita- 


88  HISTORY  OF  HURON  PRESBYTERY. 

ble  spirit  out  of  which  the  I'hm  of  Union  had  grown,  and  so 
the  coming  event  was  casting  its  shadow  before  it. 


THE  BOARDS  AND  SOCIETIES. 

One  manifestation  of  the  feeling  described  above  had  regard 
to  the  benevolent  boards  and  societies.  Many  were  heartily 
tired  of  the  co-operative  system,  and  Presbyterians  were  be- 
coming more  anxious  to  control  their  own  missionary  opera- 
tions. The  matter  was  not  confined  to  home  missions,  nor  was 
the  trouble  here  settled  by  the  Cincinnati  Convention.  The 
churches  on  the  Reserve,  naturally  enough,  as  we  have  seen, 
gave  and  continued  to  give  their  benevolent  contributions  to 
the  American  Home  Missionary  Society,  to  the  American 
Board  of  Commissioners  for  Foreign  Missions,  and  to  the 
American  Education  Society.  To  each  and  all  of  these  benevo- 
lent organizations  the  Presbytery  of  Huron  was  strongly 
attached.  They  expressed  themselves  so  again  and  again,  and 
pledged  themselves  to  sustain  them  by  their  prayers  and  their 
gifts.  This  was  not  according  to  the  wishes  and  hopes  of  the 
large  part  of  the  Presbyterian  body.  For  a  time  no  objections 
had  been  raised  or,  perhaps,  contemplated. 

But  the  Assembly  had  organized  its  own  Board  of  Home 
Missions  in  1816,  and  reorganized  it  in  1828,  and  was  actively 
and  prosperously  prosecuting  the  work  of  home  missions.  The 
American  Board  of  Commissioners  for  Foreign  Missions  was 
organized  in  1810.  Presbyterians  espoused  its  cause  and  con- 
tributed to  its  funds,  and  by  it  some  valuable  Presbyterian 
foreign  missionaries  were  sent  out  and  supported. 

In  1817,  however,  the  General  Assembly  resolved  to  enter 
upon  foreign  missionary  work  as  a  body,  uniting  with  the 
Dutch  Reformed  Churches,  and  established  "  The  United  For- 
eign Missionar}"  Society  "  at  New  York. 

In  182G  the  American  Board  proposed  the  union  of  the  two 
organizations.     The   Assembly   consented,   and  directed  that 


CHIEF  GROUNDS  OF  COMPLAINT.  89 

contributions  be  made  by  the  churches  to  the  American  Board. 
This  amalgamation  proved  unsatisfactory  to  Presbyterians. 
The  feeling  largely  prevailed  that  foreign  missions  was  essen- 
tially a  Church  work,  and  should  be  controlled  by  the  Church, 
and  not  by  any  individual  society.  In  consequence  of  this 
feeling,  the  Western  Foreign  Missionary  Society  was  organized 
by  the  Old  School  Synod  of  Pittsburg  in  1831,  with  Dr.  Elisha 
Swift  as  its  corresponding  secretary.  It  was  reorganized  by 
the  Assembly  in  1832.  Eventually  the  Board  of  Foreign  Mis- 
sions was  established  by  the  General  Assembly  in  1837. 

The  Assembly's  Board  of  Education  was  organized  in  1819, 
and  as  the  Presbyterian  body  had  its  own  Boards  of  Home  and 
Foreign  Missions  and  of  Education,  it  was  but  natural  that 
there  should  be  felt  some  dissatisfaction  with  presbyteries  and 
churches  contributing  to  the  board  and  societies  controlled  by 
the  Congregationalist  body,  and  withholding  from  those  that 
were  under  the  care  of  the  same  General  Assembly  to  which 
they  were  supposed  to  be  subject. 

CHIEF  GROUNDS  OF  COMPLAINT. 

But  the  chief  grounds  of  dissatisfaction  had  regard  to  dodrine 
and  church  polity.  There  was  doubt  of  loyalty  to  Presbyterian- 
ism  and  of  the  Calvinistic  soundness  in  faith  of  these  presbyte- 
ries, and  although  the  ministers  themselves,  and  the  churches 
in  these  regions,  felt  that,  in  the  main,  there  could  be  no  rea- 
sonable ground  of  complaint  upon  this  score,  yet  there  surely 
were  exceptional  cases  in  which  there  were  both  disloyalty  and 
unsoundness  of  doctrine.  Mr.  Kennedy,  who  writes  largely  in  de- 
fense of  the  Synod  of  Western  Reserve  and  of  the  Plan  of  Union, 
says :  "  It  is  to  be  admitted  that  the  Plan  of  Union,  in  that  by 
it  Congregational  ministers  were  received  upon  certificate  in 
the  same  manner  that  members  from  one  presbytery  were  re- 
ceived by  another,  had  temporarily  introduced  a  small  hetero- 
dox element  into  the  fellowship  of  the  Presbyterian  Church." 
He  claims,  however,  that  the  heterodoxy  of  the  Synod,  as  such, 
could  only  be  believed  by  those  who  were  misinformed. 


90  HISTORY  OF  HURON  PRESBYTERY. 

It  is  to  be  admitted,  then,  that  there  were  such  cases,  and  it  is 
but  reasonable  to  believe  that  though  the  noteworthy  cases  of 
the  kind  were  not  very  numerous,  they  were  yet  like  the  dead 
fly  that  spoileth  the  ointment — they  gave  occasion  of  censure 
against  the  body  of  Avliich  they  were  members.  We  cannot 
find  that  there  were  any  such  instances  of  unsoundness  in 
Huron  Presbytery.  They  would  not  have  been  long  sustained 
if  there  were.  The  laws  of  this  body  regarding  the  reception 
of  ministers  were  very  strict.  Peculiar  care  seems,  from  the 
very  first,  to  have  been  observed  to  prevent  heterodoxy  of 
teaching.  No  matter  where  ministers  came  from  they  were 
examined  in  religious  experience  and  doctrinal  views,  and  re- 
quired to  assent  to  the  Westminster  Confession  of  Faith  before 
they  were  received. 

The  constant  aim  of  this  Presb3'tery  was  to  be  sound  in  the 
faith  in  the  true  Presbyterian  sense. 

But  the  chief  point,  and  most  insisted  upon  in  the  General 
Assembl}^  looked  back  of  the  state  of  things  that  seemed  then 
to  exist.  This  was  what  was  regarded  as  "  the  original  unconstitu- 
tionality "  of  the  act  of  the  Assembl}^  which  first  endorsed  the 
"  Plan  of  Union."  That  there  was  truth  in  this  complaint  can 
hardly  be  denied.  It  was  surely  a  break  in  Presbyterianism. 
It  was  also  a  trespass  upon  pure  Congregationalism. 

The  particularly  odious  feature  in  the  practical  working  of 
the  Plan — though  this,  perhaps,  would  not  have  been  so  much 
insisted  upon,  had  it  not  been  for  the  supposed  or  real  unsound- 
ness of  creed  and  the  sympathy  with  Congregational  church 
polity  which  were  developing — was  the  admission  of  Congrega- 
tional deacons  and  "  committee  men  "  into  ecclesiastical  bodies 
upon  equality  of  privilege  and  authority  with  regularly  or- 
dained elders  of  the  Presbyterian  Church.  It  was  upon  the 
ground  of  the  unconstitutionality  of  the  "  Plan  of  Union  " 
that  extreme  measures  were  justified.  It  was  believed  to  have 
been  productive  of  disloyalty  to  Presbyterianism  and  to  sound 
Calvinism. 

The  fact  we  can  hardly  think  of  questioning  i-;,  that  tliere 


THE  EXCISION— WAS  IT  JUSTIFIABLE?  91 

was  one  kind  of  Presbyterianism  for  the  Plan  of  Union  Pres- 
byteries and  churches,  and  another  for  the  rest  of  the  world. 
Yet,  as  we  study  the  records  and  the  men  of  Huron  Presby- 
tery, we  cannot  but  feel  that,  as  to  this  body  of  men,  they  were 
in  faith  honestly  striving  to  be  faithful  to  the  conditions  of  their 
situation.  They  so  felt,  themselves,  and  they  stood  nobly 
together. 

FATHER  CONGER  DEFENDED. 

Just  before  the  action  of  the  Assembly  of  1837,  these  minis- 
ters were  surprised  and  pained  to  learn  that  one  of  their  own 
number  so  loved  and  honored  as  the  Rev.  E.  Conger — a  man 
whom  persons  yet  living  remember  as  a  Calvinist  of  the  most 
decided  type — had  been  denied  permission  to  labor  within  the 
bounds  of  another  presbytery  on  account  of  alleged  defection 
from  the  standards  of  the  Presbyterian  Church  in  respect  to 
its  doctrine,  government,  and  discipline.  His  brethren  came  to 
his  defense,  with  all  their  hearts,  in  a  resolution  "  that  they 
had  the  most  undoubted  evidence  of  his  soundness  in  the 
faith  and  his  conformity  to  the  standards  of  the  Presbyterian 
Church,  and  the  fullest  confidence  in  him  as  a  minister  of  Jesus 
Christ ;  and  they  did  most  cordially  recommend  him  to  the 
confidence  of  the  churches  where  he  was  then  laboring,  and  to 
any  and  all  Presbyterian  churches  in  the  United  States. 

Such  was,  to  say  the  least,  their  confidence  in  each  other,  in 
their  own  soundness  in  the  faith,  and  in  their  loyalty  to  the 
standards  of  the  Presbyterian  Church. 

A  fact  was  developed  in  the  Assembly  that  of  139  churches 
in  the  Synod  of  Western  Reserve,  only  thirty  were  Presby- 
terian; but  it  is  to  be  said  that  of  these  fifteen,  or  fulbj  one- 
half,  belonged  to  Huron  Presbytery. 

THE  EXCISION— WAS  IT  JUSTIFIABLE? 

The  way  had  been  preparing  for  several  years,  amid  stormy 
scenes,  for  the  Exscinding  Act,  which  came  in  the  Assembl}'  of 
1837.     It  was  a  fact  wliich  was  to  go  down  to  posterity  that 


92  HISTORY  OF  HURON  PRESBYTERY. 

the  Presbyterian  Church  was  divided.  The  tiling  to  us  now 
seems  to  partake  of  the  nature  of  the  awful,  and  there  is  little 
doubt  that  it  was  felt  to  be  so  to  the  great  and,  we  believe,  good 
leading  actors  in  the  scene  then.  The  responsibility  that  men 
bore,  when  by  one  act  they  could  sever  the  Church  in  twain, 
was  simply  awful ;  but  the  responsibility  on  the  other  side  was 
just  as  great. 

The  first  objective  point  of  the  resolutions  of  the  Assembly 
was  "  the  abrogation  of  the  Plan  of  Union,"  which  was  the  cause 
of  the  existing  troubles.  In  striking  at  this,  the  first  blow 
smote  off  tlie  Synod  of  the  Western  Reserve.  The  abrogation 
was  carried  by  a  vote  of  143  to  110.  Then,  after  some  earnest 
discussion,  a  resolution  was  adopted,  declaring  "  that,  by  the 
operation  of  the  abrogation  of  the  'Plan  of  Union'  of  1801, 
the  Synod  of  the  Western  Reserve  is,  and  is  hereby  declared  to 
be,  no  longer  a  part  of  the  Presbyterian  Church  in  the  United 
States  of  America." 

This  resolution  was  adopted  by  a  vote  of  132  to  105.  In  the 
same  manner  and  for  the  same  reasons  three  other  synods  were 
exscinded. 

If  posterity  dare  to  sit  in  judgment  upon  these  acts  of  these 
great  men  of  the  Church,  what  shall  we  say  ? 

As  the  Assembly  of  1801  was  responsible  for  the  Plan  of 
Union,  influenced  by  a  noble  charity,  with  the  extension  of 
Christ's  kingdom  as  the  one  object  in  view,  might  not  the 
Assembly  of  1837,  had  the  same  charity  prevailed,  have  done 
a  better  thing  than  to  use  the  exscinding  knife  ? 

All  this  is  open  to  argument  and  to  diversities  of  sentiment. 
We  might  all  agree  that  a  more  becoming  and  Christian  course 
would  have  been  a  voluntary  and  friendly  division  of  the 
Church.  An  effort  was  made  in  this  direction,  and  a  Commit- 
tee of  Consultation  appointed,  and  at  one  stage  of  their  delibe- 
rations they  seemed  about  to  agree.  But  this  effort  was  des- 
tined to  failure.  The  voluntary  separation  was  regarded  as 
impossible,  and  the  only  thing  then  to  do  was  either  to  go  on 
as  they  were  or  to  force  the  division.     And  it  ought  not  to  be 


THE  EXCISION— WAS  IT  JUSTIFIABLE?  93 

difficult  to  decide  between  perpetual  disquietude  and  commo- 
tion and  the  course  adopted  by  the  Assembly.  It  would  seem 
as  clear  now  as  it  did  then  that  the  separation  was  the  only 
loay  to  2ieace,  the  only  way,  though  it  required  years  to  bring  it 
about,  to  the  state  of  things  existing  to-day — reunion  and  un- 
doubting  harmony  in  the  great  Presbyterian  household,  and 
fraternal  fellowship  and  concourse  with  the  Congregational ist 
body. 

The  fraternal  feeling  was  desired  even  in  those  trying  times. 
More  than  once  was  this  desire  openly  expressed.  In  the 
Assembly  of  1837  a  resolution  was  adopted  recommending  the 
cultivation  of  friendly  relations  with  the  Congregational 
churches,  even  while  abrogating  the  Plan  of  Union. 

There  was  doubtless  more  prayer  and  more  grace  and  real 
charity  in  that  Assembly  than  the  exscinding  knife  would  sug- 
gest. The  result  was  simply  inevitable  from  the  operations  of 
the  Plan  of  Union.  In  saying  this,  we  need  not  condemn  the 
Assembly  of  1801,  or  of  1806,  or  the  Association  that  conceived 
and  adopted  it.  There  was  a  sad  muddle,  and  in  this  world 
great  muddles,  if  settled  at  all,  are  usually  settled  by  some 
severe  and  apparently  unkind  action. 

Yet  in  this  case  we  have  to  remember  that  a  large  amount  of 
true  Presbyterianism,  with  orthodox  ministers  and  churches, 
was  left  to  struggle,  without  the  aid  or  sympathy  of  the  Assem- 
bly, with  difficulties  that  were  peculiar  to  their  environments. 
The  Assembly  sought  to  guard  against  wrong  in  this  direction, 
and  left  the  door  open  to  every  minister  and  every  church  that 
would  show  loyalty  and  orthodoxy.  But  the  result  of  the  ex- 
})eriences  of  years  and  the  force  of  circumstances  were  not  and 
could  not  be  estimated  as  they  affected  many  of  these  churches. 
So  that  while  it  was  not  true  of  all  the  ministers  and  churches 
in  the  exscinded  synods,  by  any  means,  yet  it  was  true  of  some, 
as  expressed  by  Mr.  Kennedy,  that  "  the  unsuspecting  family 
of  churches  that  had  grown  up  under  the  Plan  of  Union, 
without  suspicion  of  illegitimacy  or  consciousness  of  offense, 
were  suddenly  appalled  to  find  themselves  cast  out,  as  chil- 


94  HISTORY  OF  HURON  PRESBYTERY. 

dren  of  the  bondwoman,  without  name  or  inheritance."  The 
feehiig  that  pervaded  many  hearts  was  one  of  deep  sorrow 
and  of  painful  regret. 


HURON  PRESBYTERY  UPON  THE  EXCISION. 

Such  was  the  fact  with  regard  to  this  body.  There  was  sor- 
row and  deep  regret.  The  position  of  these  ministers  and 
churches  during  the  few  years  of  ordeal  was  sometimes  trying, 
and  great  anxiety  was  felt  for  the  churches  and  for  the  cause  of 
Christ.     There  ivas  fear  of  disaffection,  and  of  consequent  disaster. 

The  desire  and  prayer  were  intense  that  all  should  still  hold 
together,  and  together  brave  the  storm.  But  who  was  to  an- 
swer the  question — What  is  to  be  done  next  ?  There  was  agi- 
tation, and  there  were  consultations  between  the  ministers. 
Finally  it  was  decided  to  call  the  Presbytery  together.  This  was 
done  by  the  Moderator,  Rev.  Alvan  Nash,  and  the  body  met 
at  Lyme,  on  the  first  of  August,  1837,  at  which  time  the  Mode- 
rator stated  that,  "  Having  learned,  through  the  public  journals, 
that  the  Synod  to  which  they  belonged,  together  with  the 
Synods  of  Utica,  Geneva,  and  Genesee,  are  by  acts  of  the  late 
General  Assembly  cut  off  from  being  any  longer  a  portion  of 
the  Presbyterian  Church  ;  and  having  also  seen  a  notice,  un- 
der the  sanction  of  the  Presbytery  of  Cayuga,  of  a  convention 
at  Auburn,  New  York,  on  the  17th  inst.,  of  delegates  from  all 
the  Presbyteries  thus  cut  off  and  from  other  portions  of  the 
Presbyterian  Church  who  sympathize  with  them,  to  deliberate 
upon  tlie  measures  to  be  adopted  in  their  present  circumstances, 
he  liad,  with  the  advice  of  another  member  of  Presbytery,  re- 
quested them,  by  letters  missive,  to  meet  at  this  time  and  place, 
to  deliberate  and  act  on  the  business  of  sending  delegates  to 
the  proposed  Convention." 

A  committee,  consisting  of  Messrs.  Conger,  Barber,  Betts,  and 
Sturtevant,  was  appointed  to  report  some  appropriate  action  for 
the  body  to  take  at  that  time.  A  report  was  made  and  adopted, 
which  declares  "  the  act  of  the  Assembly  to  be  impolitic  and 


HURON  PRESBYTERY   UPON  THE  EXCISION.  95 

wrong,  unconstitutional,  unscriptural,  unchristian,  and  revolu- 
tionary ;  and  yet  the  purpose  is  avowed  of  aiming  to  clierish 
no  other  than  charitable  and  brotherly  feelings  toward  those 
who  have  thus  wantonly  disturbed  the  peace  of  Zion,  and 
thrown  many  of  their  brethren  and  of  the  churches  of  the  Lord 
into  most  trying  circumstances." 

These  men  declare  further  that,  while  they  cannot  feel  that 
they  have  merited  these  things  at  the  hands  of  their  brethren, 
they  yet  acknowledge  therein  the  righteous  judgment  of  God 
for  their  unfaithfulness  in  His  service,  and  they  recommend  to 
the  churches  humble  and  earnest  prayer  for  Divine  direction. 

They  then  decide  to  send  delegates — Rev.  Alvan  Nash  and 
Mr.  John  Seymour — to  the  Convention  at  Auburn,  New  York, 
recommending  to  all  churches,  meanwhile,  to  remain  steadfast 
until  the  result  of  the  Convention  be  known. 

At  the  next  meeting  of  Presbytery,  September  13,  1837,  this 
Committee  reported  their  attendance  upon  the  Convention  at 
Auburn.  Their  report  was  accepted  and  their  actions  were 
approved.  This  Convention  may  be  regarded  as  the  birth  of 
the  New  School  General  Assembly.  But  the  Presbytery  went 
further. 

At  this  September  meeting,  Messrs.  E.  Judson,  E.  Conger, 
and  E.  Barber  were  appointed,  and  directed  to  inquire  into  the 
state  of  the  Presbytery  in  respect  to  the  allegations  brought 
against  the  Synod  of  Western  Reserve  in  the  General  Assembly. 
They  reported  "  that  an  examination  of  the  facts  in  the  case 
show  that  most  of  the  said  charges  have  no  applicability  to 
the  ministers  and  churches  belonging  to  the  Huron  Presby- 
tery, and  that  such  is  the  case  will  appear  from  the  following, 
namely : — 

"  1st.  In  relation  to  the  form  of  government  in  the  churches  : 
the  Presbytery  of  Huron  has  under  its  care  twenty-five  churches. 
Of  these  fifteen  have  ruling  elders  appointed  and  ordained 
agreeably  to  the  Form  of  Government,  Chapter  13.  The 
remaining  ten  are  organized  on  the  Accommodation  Plan. 

"  2d.  Resj^ecting  progress  of  views  in  favor  of  the  Presby- 


96  HISTORY  OF  HURON  PRESBYTERY. 

terian  form  of  government,  so  far  is  it  from  Ijeing  true  that 
Congregationalism  is  increasing,  the  only  changes  have  been 
from  the  Congregational  form  to  the  Presbyterian ;  and 
all  the  churches  organized  within  our  bounds  in  tlie  last  seven 
years,  amounting  to  eleven  in  all,  have  been  organized  on  the 
Presbyterian  plan. 

"  3d.  The  Presbytery,  at  their  next  annual  meeting  after  the 
Assembly  adopted,  in  1830,  the  rule  requiring  all  ministers 
coming  from  other  ecclesiastical  bodies  to  give  their  assent  to 
the  questions  in  the  Form  of  Government,  Chapters  14  and  15, 
expressed  their  approbation  of  the  doings  of  the  General 
Assembly,  and  all  members  received  since  that  date  by  letter 
and  all  ordained  by  this  Presbytery  have,  without  exception, 
answered  said  questions  in  the  affirmative. 

"  4th.  No  evangelist  has  ever,  at  any  time,  labored  as  such 
among  our  churches,  and  all  protracted  meetings  that  have 
been  held  liave  been  conducted  by  the  pastors  and  stated  sup- 
plies of  our  congregations,  with  the  exception  of  one  meeting 
in  a  church  which  has  since  withdrawn  from  our  connection. 

"  5th.  The  doctrinal  errors  alleged  are  not  known  to  be  held 
by  any  member  of  this  body. 

"  6th.  No  irregularities  of  practice,  such  as  described  in  the 
General  Assembly,  have  been  known  to  exist  within  any  of  our 
churches." 

Finally,  they  say  :  "  We  are  ready  to  meet  any  regularl}'  insti- 
tuted process  of  discipline,  commenced  and  carried  forward 
agreeably  to  the  forms  laid  down  in  the  Book  of  Discipline, and 
we  have  no  doubt  that  such  a  trial,  conducted  with  a  kind. 
Christian  spirit  and  candor,  would  result  in  a  full  and  honor- 
able acquittal.  And  until  such  trial  is  had  and  we  be  constitu- 
tionally condemned,  we  are  resolved  to  assert  and  maintain  our 
rights  as  a  constituent  part  of  the  Presbyterian  Church  in  the 
United  States  of  America." 

This  is  a  full  and  clear  statement  of  the  facts  as  they 
appeared  to  the  members  of  this  body,  and  the  records  of  the 
Presbytery  appear  fully  to  sustain  the  declarations. 


HURON  PRESBYTERY   UPON  THE  EXCISION.  97 

It  is  shown  how  these  fathers  of  Huron  Presbytery  had  aimed 
to  be  true  and  loyal  Presbyterians,  and  how  confident  they 
were  in  their  own  integrity  and  soundness  of  creed  and  practice. 
If  these  were  the  facts  generally  throughout  the  exscinded 
Synods — and  there  were  those  who  believed  they  were  so — it 
would  be  difficult  to  regard  the  excision  in  any  other  light  than 
as  a  mistake  and  a  wrong,  especially  so  when  we  remember 
the  position  of  these  Synods,  and  the  Assembly  itself,  in  the 
matter  of  the  Plan  of  Union. 

It  is,  however,  more  than  probable  that  all  the  presbyteries 
could  not  have  shown  up  their  case  in  so  clear  a  light. 

It  was  a  difficult  thing  to  do,  but  Huron  Presbytery  did  aim 
to  be  true  to  her  environments,  remembering  both  the  "  Plan 
of  Union  "  and  the  General  Assembly. 

Her  sympathies  were,  almost  to  a  man,  with  the  American 
Board  and  the  American  Societies,  and  to  these  she  devoted  her 
benevolent  contributions.  This  was  perhaps  the  strongest  fact 
that  could  have  been  proven  against  her.  In  this  she  was  more 
loyal  to  Congregationalism  than  to  Presbyterianism.  Her  de- 
fense for  this  would  naturally  be  her  position  under  the  Plan 
of  Union,  and  the  sources  from  which  her  financial  help  had 
mainly  come. 

The  members  of  the  Presbytery,  and  doubtless  the  churches, 
were  saddened — almost  dismayed.  Yet  they  stood  together, 
and  firmly,  by  what  they  regarded  as  the  right  in  the  case. 

The  above  given  statement  regarding  themselves  they 
ordered  to  be  sent  to  the  Cincinnati  Journal  for  publication,  that 
the  world  might  know  their  belief  and  their  practice. 

But  the  deed  was  done.  The  General  Assembly  had  cut  off 
from  her  body  the  Synod  of  Western  Reserve.  Huron  Presby- 
tery was  a  part  of  that  Synod,  and,  guilty  or  innocent,  she  went 
with  the  part  exscinded.  There,  by  force  of  circumstances  and 
by  strong  sympathies,  her  lot  was  cast,  and  with  the  year  1838 
she  begins  a  new  era  in  her  history.  She  is  henceforth,  until 
1870,  a  New  School  Presbyterian  body  of  ministers  and  of 
churches. 

7 


CIIAP^J^EH  V. 
FROM    1837  TO  1842. 

During  the  sadly  eventful  year  of  1837,  various  changes 
were  made  in  the  Presbytery. 

Two  churches  were  added  to  the  roll,  namely,  Hartland 
organized  July  12t]i,  and  Green  Creek,  which  was  organized  in 
October. 

The  pastoral  relation  existing  between  Rev.  X.  Betts  and  the 
church  of  Wakeman  was  dissolved  on  the  first  of  February, 
and  on  the  same  day  Mr.  Betts  was  installed  at  Lyme. 

Also,  on  that  day,  Rev.  Abijah  Blanchard  was  received  from 
the  Presbytery  of  Genesee. 

On  the  23d  of  May,  Rev.  E.  Judson,  having  greatly  changed 
his  views  in  regard  to  the  importance  of  the  pastoral  relation, 
was  installed  pastor  of  the  church  at  Milan.  On  the  24th  of 
May,  Mr.  B.  B.  Judson  was  ordained  to  the  ministry  and 
made  pastor  of  the  church  of  Ruggles.  April  12th,  Rev. 
David  Smith  was  dismissed  to  the  Presbytery  of  Maumee. 
March  14th,  Rev.  J.  W.  Beecher  was  granted  a  letter  to  the 
Presbytery  of  Grand  River. 

On  the  9th  of  June  occurred  the  second  death  of  a  minis- 
terial member  of  this  bod3^ 

At  that  time  it  seems  not  to  have  been  the  custom  to  make 
any  special  record  of  the  life  or  character  of  ministers  when 
removed  by  death.  In  this  case  we  find  the  simple  statement 
on  the  records : — 

REV.  STEPHEN  J.  BRADSTREET, 

Died  June  9,  1837. 

We  only  know  of  Mr.  Bradstreet  that  he  was  born  in  1794, 
that  he  was  the  first  minister  added  to  the  original  five  mem- 

98 


CHURCHES  IN  1838.  99 

bers  of  the  Presbytery,  and  that  he  came  by  letter  from  the 
Presbytery  of  Londonderry. 

His  name  figures  prominently  in  all  the  acts  of  the  body  as 
one  of  its  faithful  and  punctual  members. 

He  was  for  fourteen  interesting  years  a  member,  and  died 
not  far  from  the  time  of  the  act  of  the  General  Assembly 
which  made  so  many  sad  hearts. 


MINISTERS  AFTER  THE  EXCISION. 

The  first  meeting'  of  the  year  1838  was  held  at  Lyme,  on  the 
10th  and  11th  of  April,  at  which  time  the  Presbytery  was  com- 
posed of  the  following  ministers : — 

Joseph  Edwards,  Joseph  Crawford,  E.  Conger,  Abijah  Blan- 
chard,  Alvan  Nash,  Xenophon  Betts,  E.  Judson,  Eldad  Barber, 
Samuel  Dunton,  E.  P.  Salmon,  John  McCutchen,  A.  Newton, 
B.  B.  Judson,  Alvan  Coe,  Thomas  Kennan,  L.  Robbins,  and 
David  Higgins,  added  April  10, 1838. 


CHURCHES  IN  1838. 

The  Presbytery  starts  its  new  era  with  the  following 
churches : — 

Lyme,  Greenfield,  A^ermillion,  Milan,  Fitch ville,  Peru,  San- 
dusky, Huron,  Wakeman,  Norwalk,  Tiffin,  Scipio  (Republic), 
New  Haven,  Bloom,  Melmore,  Bellevue,  Fremont,  Ruggles, 
Florence,  Ripley,  Perrysburg,  Green  Creek,  Eldridge  (Berlin), 
Monroe  ville,  Attica,  Bronson,  Hartland,  Birmingham.  There 
were,  therefore,  seventeen  ministers  and  twenty-eight  churches 
at  this  time. 

Only  twenty-three  churches  and  seventeen  ministers,  with 
1126  communicants,  were  reported  to  the  General  Assembly  of 
1837.  The  Presbytery  in  their  resolutions,  however,  regarding 
the  acts  of  the  Assembly,  say  they  have  twenty-five  churches. 
Two  were  added  between  September,  1837,  and  April,  1838. 

The  above  names  are  all  found  upon  the  roll,  and  we  are  at 


100  HISTORY  OF  HURON  PRESBYTERY. 

least  within  one  of  being  (juite  correct  in  saying  that  there  were 
seventeen  ministers,  twentv-eiglit  churches,  and  1103  commu- 
nicants. 

The  church  of  Wakeman  had  withdrawn  from  tlie  Presby- 
tery, declaring  itself  independent.  But  soon  it  requested  to  be 
again  taken  under  care  of  the  body.  This  was  done  on  the 
11th  of  April,  1838,  and  the  name  enrolled  as  given  above. 

(3n  the  12tli  of  September,  the  churcli  of  Plymouth  was 
received,  organized  within  the  borders  of  Richland  County. 
This  church  sooner  or  later,  if  not  immediately,  takes  the  place 
of  the  New  Haven  Church,  which  is  dropped,  without  mention 
of  what  became  of  it,  from  the  roll.     It  liad  a  short  existence. 


SOME  CHANGES. 

July  24th,  Rev.  A.  Newton,  having  preached  for  the  church 
of  Norwalk  for  about  three  years  as  stated  supply,  was  duly 
installed  as  pastor  of  that  people. 

On  the  same  day  the  pastoral  relation  existing  between  Rev. 
Alvan  Nash  and  the  church  in  Sandusky  was  dissolved,  and 
he  was  dismissed  to  the  Presbytery  of  Portage. 

September  12tli,  Rev.  Alvan  Coe  was  dismissed  to  the  Presby- 
tery of  Trumbull. 

September  21st,  three  ministers  were  received :  Rev.  Lyman 
Barrett,  from  the  Presbytery  of  Bath  ;  Rev.  Jonathan  B.  Parlin, 
from  the  St.  Lawrence  Consociation,  and  Rev.  Ferris  Fitch, 
from  the  Presbytery  of  Grand  River. 

On  the  15th  of  January,  1839,  Rev.  A.  Blanchard  was  dis- 
missed to  the  Presbytery  of  Detroit. 

April  lOtli,  Rev.  J.  A.  Hart  was  received  from  the  Presby- 
tery of  Delaware. 

September  11th,  Rev.  E.  S.  Scott  was  received  from  the 
Presbytery  of  Grand  River. 

On  the  same  day,  September  11, 1839,  Mr.  Jonathan  Cochran 
and  John  E.  Sherwin  were,  after  the  usual  examinations  and 
trial  exercises,  licensed  to  preach  the  gospel. 


SLOUGHING    OFF  OF  PEOPLE  AND   CHURCHES.  101 

On  the  13tli  of  November  Licentiate  Francis  Child  was 
ordained,  and  then  installed  pastor  of  the  church  of  Greenfield. 

On  the  14th  and  16th  of  May,  respectivel}^,  pastoral  relations 
were  consummated  between  the  Rev.  J.  A.  Hart  and  the 
church  in  Sandusky  City,  and  between  the  Rev.  Ferris  Fitch 
and  the  church  of  Lower  Sandusky  (Fremont). 


SLOUGHING  OFF  OF  PEOPLE  AND  CHURCHES. 

So  early  after  the  excision  as  1839  there  was  not  only  a  dis- 
position manifest  on  the  part  of  some  communicants,  still 
attached  to  the  Old  School  party,  to  drop  out  of  their  church 
relations — some  doing  so  without  requesting  dismissal  to  any 
other  church  (in  which  cases  the  churches  were  directed 
simply  to  enter  notice  of  the  fact  upon  their  records) — but 
there  was  a  disposition  shown  in  some  churches  to  slough  off 
from  the  Presbytery.  The  church  of  Bellevue  did  this,  as  did 
also  the  church  of  Wakeman  a  second  time,  both  going  to  the 
Congregational  body.  Several  others  followed  in  the  course  of 
time.  In  fact,  it  was  very  early  manifest  that  the  New  School 
Presbytery  would  either  have  to  give  up  its  loyalty  to  Presby- 
terianism  quite  generally  or  be  compelled  to  endure  trials  and 
losses  through  the  existing  and  now  developing  Congregational 
tendencies  in  some  of  the  churches.  Some  of  the  same  difficulties 
were  to  be  experienced  in  the  exscinded  body  from  Congrega- 
tionalism which  had  been  felt  in  the  Church  at  large  before  the 
excision.  The  difference  was  that  the  strongly  Congregational 
churches  withdrew,  in  this  case,  from  the  Presbytery.  Yet  there 
was  one  case  of  presbyterial  excision.  The  church  of  Fitchville, 
which  had,  from  its  origin,  been  a  source  of  annoyance  to  the 
body  by  its  disorderly  constitution  and  its  disorderly  conduct, 
being  largely  independent  of  Presbytery,  was  finally  cut  off 
from  its  relation.  A  committee  was,  however,  immediately 
appointed  to  visit  Fitchville,  and  to  organize  there  a  Presbyterian 
church  if  considered  prudent.  This  Committee  did  organize, 
as  there  were  some  Presbyterians  who  desired  it,  on  the  6th  of 


102  HISTORY  OF  UUUOX  rRKSBYTERY. 

June,  1>S39,  a  Presbyterian  church  with  twenty-six  members 
and  three  ruling  ehlers.  Tliis  organization  after  a  time  erected 
a  neat  sanctuary.  There  was,  however,  continued  rivalry  be- 
tween it  and  the  Congregationalist  church,  until,  in  1850,  the 
matter  is  again  before  the  Presbytery  in  the  form  of  a  request 
that  the  Presbyterian  church  be  dissolved.  To  this  there  was 
a  protest  on  the  part  of  some  members  of  the  church.  The 
whole  procedure  was  evidently  in  the  interest  of  an  Inde- 
pendent organization  which  had  sprung  up  in  the  place.  The 
Presbytery,  after  due  consideration,  declined  to  disorganize  the 
church,  and  the  request  that  it  do  so  was  for  the  present  with- 
drawn. But  within  less  than  two  years  the  name  of  the  church 
of  Fitchville  ceases  to  be  on  the  roll  of  the  Presbytery.  The 
Congregationalists  had  taken  the  field,  purchased  the  Presby- 
terian house  of  worship,  and  secured,  doubtless,  most  of  the 
membership.  This  Congregationalist  church  is  now  in  a 
flourishing  condition. 


LORAIN  PRESBYTERY  ADDED. 

The  Presbytery  of  Huron  was  somewhat  weakened,  though 
not  really  to  an  alarming  extent,  by  the  falling  off  of  churches 
and  people  to  Congregationalism.  But  the  Presbytery  of  Lorain, 
which  had  been  formed  from  the  western  part  of  the  Presby- 
tery of  Cleveland,  suffered  much  more,  owing  to  the  proximity 
and  influence  of  the  Oberlin  Institute  and  the  efforts  to  pro- 
mote Congregationalism.  Eventually,  the  churches  in  the 
eastern  part  of  Huron,  under  the  immediate  shadow  of  Oberlin, 
withdrew,  all  of  them,  to  that  denomination. 

But  so  much  was  Lorain  Presbytery  weakened  in  this  way 
that  she  memorialized  the  Synod,  requesting  dissolution.  This 
request  was  granted,  and  on  the  21st  of  September,  1839,  the 
said  Presbytery  was  dissolved,  and  the  ministers,  licentiates, 
and  churches  of  the  same  were  directed  to  be  attached  to  the 
Presbytery  of  Huron. 

The  result  of  this  act  was  tliat  eleven  ministers  and  eleven 


ROLL   OF  CHURCHES,    APRIL   U,    1840.  103 

churches,  with  five  licentiates,  were  added  to  Huron,  making 
the  number  of  ministers  thirty-two,  of  churches  thirty-five,  of 
communicants  2025,  and  of  licentiates  seven.  Two  of  the 
licentiates  were  dismissed  on  the  15th  of  January,  1850,  leaving 
the  number  five. 

The  Rev.  F.  H.  Brown  was  received  January  14,  1840,  from 
the  Presbytery  of  Cayuga,  and  on  the  same  day  installed  at 
Brownhelm. 


THE  ROLL  OF  MINISTERS  IN  1840. 

The  ministers  then  numbered,  on  the  14th  of  April,  thirty- 
two,  as  follows :  E.  Conger,  X.  Betts,  B.  B.  Judson,  David 
Higgins,  A.  H.  Betts,  D.  W.  Lathrop,  E.  Judson,  E.  P.  Salmon, 
S.  Dunton,  L.  Robbins,  E.  Barber,  T.  Kennan,  J.  McCutchen, 
Jos.  Crawford,  A.  Newton,  L.  Barrett,  J.  B.  Parlin,  F.  Fitch, 
J.  A.  Hart,  E.  S.  Scott,  E.  J.  Leavenworth,  Wm.  Salisbury, 
James  Ellis,  Jos.  Edwards,  H.  Cowles,  J.  J.  Shipherd,  L.  H. 
Loss,  0.  Eastman,  N.  W.  St.  John,  F.  Child,  F.  H.  Brown,  and 
John  Monteith. 


ROLL  OF  CHURCHES,  APRIL  14,   1840. 

During  1839  the  churches  of  Bellevue  and  Wakeman  had 
withdrawn  to  the  Association ;  the  names  of  New  Haven  and 
Perrysburg  are  dropped,  leaving,  with  the  eleven  additions 
from  Lorain,  thirty-five  churches,  as  follows :  Lyme,  Ver- 
million, Milan,  Sandusky,  Peru,  Greenfield,  Berlin,  Ruggles, 
Melmore,  Norwalk,  Tiffin,  Monroeville,  Florence,  Republic, 
Attica,  Lower  Sandusky,  Ripley,  Bloom,  Huron,  Bronson, 
Hartland,  Green  Creek,  Birmingham,  Plymouth,  Fitchville, 
Columbia,  Rochester,  Amherst,  Brownhelm,  Ridgeville,  Charles- 
ton, Grafton,  Pennfield,  Elyria,  and  AVellington.  To  these  was 
added,  July  7,  1840,  the  church  of  Amherstville,  making  the 
number  thirty-six. 


104  HISTORY  OF  HURON  PRESBYTERY. 

CHANGES  IN  1840. 

On  the  9tli  of  February  Mr.  Robert  Cochran,  licentiate,  was 
dismissed  to  the  Lorain  County  Association. 

June  9th,  the  pastoral  relation  between  Rev.  X.  Betts  and 
the  church  in  Lyme  was  dissolved. 

July  14th,  Rev.  Wm.  Salisbury  was  dismissed  to  the  Presby- 
tery of  Medina. 

September  9th,  Rev.  Solomon  Stevens  was  received  from  the 
Presbytery  of  Genesee. 

November  18th,  Mr.  J.  C.  Sherwin,  licentiate,  was  ordained 
and  installed  pastor  of  the  church  of  Berlin.  On  the  same  day 
Rev.  Seth  Smalley  was  received  from  the  Presbytery  of  Cayuga. 

December  2d,  Rev.  John  McCutchen  was  installed  pastor  of 
the  church  in  Republic. 

MAUMEE  PRESBYTERY  ADDED. 

The  Synod  of  Western  Reserve,  on  the  20th  of  September, 
1840,  in  view  of  the  small  number  of  ministers  in  the  Presby- 
tery of  Maumee,  dissolved  that  body,  and  its  ministers  and 
churches  were  added  to  the  Presbyter}'  of  Huron. 

By  this  act  of  Synod,  four  ministers,  Joseph  Badger,  Isaac 
Van  Tassel,  Benjamin  Woodbury,  and  J.  H.  Francis,  with  five 
churches,  Maumee,  Plain,  Defiance,  Waterville,  and  Toledo, 
were  added  to  this  body,  and  the  territory  was  extended  to  a 
full  length  of  at  least  120  miles. 

The  church  of  West  Milgrove  was  added  August  28,  1841. 

With  these  churches  there  came  to  the  Presbytery  of  Huron 
about  three  hundred  communicants,  making  the  aggregate,  in 
this  body,  of  ministers,  thirty-eight ;  of  churches,  forty-two,  and 
of  communicants,  2300. 

ROLL  CHANGES  IN  1841. 
On  the  10th  of  June  Mr.  Jonathan  Cochran,  licentiate,  was 
ordained  and  installed  pastor  of  the  church  of  Charleston. 


SOME  JUDICIAL   CASES.  105 

June  9th,  Rev.  H.  Cowles  was  dismissed  to  the  Lorain  Asso- 
ciation. 

June  9th,  Mr.  E.  R.  Tucker,  licentiate,  was  received  from  the 
Andover  Association,  Massachusetts,  and  on  the  same  day  was 
ordained  and  installed  pastor  of  the  church  of  Defiance. 

At  the  same  time  Rev.  Setli  Smalley  was  dismissed  to  the 
Presbyterian  Congregational  Convention  of  Wisconsin. 

September  14th,  Rev.  Stephen  Barrett  was  received  from  the 
Presbytery  of  Portage,  and  on  the  26th  of  October  he  was  in- 
stalled pastor  of  the  church  of  Lyme. 

September  14th,  Rev.  J.  J.  Shipherd  was  dismissed  to  the 
Lorain  County  Association. 

September  15th,  the  pastoral  relation  between  Rev.  John 
McCutchen  and  the  church  in  Republic  was  dissolved ;  that  be- 
tween Rev.  L.  H.  Loss  and  the  church  of  Elyria  was  also  dis- 
solved on  the  same  day. 

October  26th,  Mr.  George  Bigbee  was  taken  under  care  of 
Presbytery  and  licensed  to  preach  the  gospel. 

On  the  same  day  Rev.  Ansel  R.  Clarke  was  received  from  the 
Presbyter}''  of  Portage. 

During  the  month  of  October  the  church  of  Hartland  was 
dissolved  and  its  members  dismissed  to  Fitchville  or  to  Clarks- 
field,  as  each  one  might  make  choice. 

DEATH  OF  REV.  F.  CHILD. 

In  addition  to  above  changes,  on  the  30th  of  September, 
1841,  another  death  occurred  among  the  ministers.  On  that 
day  the  Rev.  F.  Child  was  called  to  his  reward,  and  at  the  fol- 
lowing meeting  of  the  Presbytery  an  appropriate  minute  was 
adopted  and  ordered  to  be  placed  upon  the  records. 

SOME   JUDICIAL   CASES. 
No.  l.—Rev.  E.  P.  Salmon  D'ied. 

The  comfort  of  the  Presbytery  was  interrupted  during  the 
year  1838  by  the  trial  of  one  of  the  ministers.  Rev.  E.  P.  Sal- 
mon.    He  himself  called  the  attention  of  the  body  to  the  fact 


106  HISTORY  OF  HURON  PRESBYTERY. 

that  charges  of  falseliood  were  preferred  against  him  by  one  of 
the  members  of  tlie  Peru  church,  which  he  was  then  serving, 
and  that  others  had  united  against  him  in  the  charges.  He 
desired  an  investigation.  Presbytery  met  and  went  through 
the  process  of  a  tliorougli  and  tedious  examination  of  the 
charges  and  facts  against  Mr.  Salmon.  The  result  was  a  unani- 
mous decision  of  the  body  that  the  charges  were  not  sustained. 
But  the  conviction  prevailed  that,  nevertheless,  Mr.  Salmon 
merited  reproof  and  admonition  for  the  imprudent  use  of  lan- 
guage and  for  imprudence  in  business  transactions. 

The  reproof  was  administered,  while  at  the  same  time  the 
attention  of  the  session  of  the  church  of  Peru  was  directed  to 
the  fact  that  Mr.  Alonzo  Edwards,  the  leading  accuser  of  Mr. 
Salmon,  was  deserving  of  their  censure  for  his  disorderly  and 
unchristian  efforts  to  fasten  guilt  upon  his  minister.  The 
session  accordingly,  without,  however,  any  fair  process  of  trial, 
censured  Mr.  Edwards  and  removed  him  from  the  office  of 
deacon,  which  he  held.  This  resulted  in  a  complaint  to  the 
Presbytery  and  a  further  hearing  in  that  body.  This  matter, 
so  far  as  Mr.  Edwards  was  concerned,  was  eventually  settled 
by  the  session  rescinding  its  action,  and  giving  him  a  letter  of 
dismissal  to  the  church  of  Lyme,  Avithin  whose  bounds  he  had 
removed. 

But,  so  far  as  Mr.  Salmon  was  concerned,  the  trouble  was  not 
yet  ended.  He  was  not  a  man  to  forget  a  wound  or  to  allow 
a  difficulty  to  rest  in  quiet.  He  was  censorious  and  impulsive 
in  his  self-determination,  making  trouble  both  for  himself  and 
for  others,  regarding  neither  time  nor  place,  and  yet  he  had  his 
friends,  who  were  ready  to  stand  by  him  and  to  follow  his 
leading. 

As  the  result  of  his  nature,  he  was,  about  two  years  after  his 
first  trial  arraigned  a  second  time  at  the  bar  of  his  Presbytery, 
and  tried  upon  the  charges  of  using  harsh  and  slanderous  lan- 
guage to  such  persons  as  he  regarded  as  opposed  to  him ;  of 
falsehood  in  various  instances ;  of  improper  meddling  with  the 
church  of  Peru,  striving  to  destroy  its  peace  and  prosperity ;  of 


SOME  JUDICIAL   CASES.  107 

having  disregarded  the  admonition  and  reproof  of  Presb3'tery 
rendered  to  him  at  the  former  trial ;  and  of  having  used  the 
pulpit  in  the  discussing  of  his  own  private  quarrels. 

After  a  fair  and  full  investigation,  these  charges  were  all  sus- 
tained, and  Mr.  Salmon  was  suspended  from  the  ministry  for 
one  year,  and  longer,  unless  he  gave  satisfactory  evidence  of 
sincere  repentance.  He  was  also  forbidden,  in  case  he  should 
appeal  to  Synod,  to  preach  until  the  appeal  should  be  issued 
by  the  Synod. 

Mr.  Salmon  gave  no  sign  of  repentance,  but  utterly  ignored 
the  authority  of  the  Presbytery,  continuing  to  discharge  the 
functions  of  a  gospel  minister,  pretending  to  have  authority 
from  some  Congregational  Association  in  New  England,  with 
which,  however,  at  the  time  of  his  suspension  he  had  no  con- 
nection. A  judgment  but  partially  reasonable  must  assent  to 
the  righteousness  of  the  Presbytery  when,  in  September  of  the 
following  year,  1841,  they  did  solemnly  depose  Mr.  Salmon  from 
the  ministerial  office  and  excluded  him  from  the  fellowship  of 
the  Church ;  and  the  same  assent  must  be  given  to  the  act  of 
the  body  when,  a  few  years  later,  after  Mr.  Salmon  had  found 
his  way  into  an  association,  and  an  overture  was  presented 
asking,  "  Can  this  Presbytery  recognize  as  a  Gospel  minister  one 
who  has  been  suspended  by  it,  but  who  is  now  in  good  stand- 
ing in  another  ecclesiastical  bod}'-,  without  having  given  to  this 
body  any  evidence  of  repentance?"  they  gave  the  only  answer 
to  be  given,  "  that  the  Presbytery  cannot  recognize  such  an  one 
as  a  Gospel  minister." 

Judicial  Case  No.  2 — H.  C.  Taylor. 

The  Presbytery,  in  1840,  had  under  its  care  a  licentiate,  Mr. 
H.  C.  Taylor,  who  became  involved  in  a  case  of  disorderly  con- 
duct, which  affected  his  character  as  a  prospective  minister  and 
required  investigation.  This  was  conducted,  however,  by  a 
committee,  and  the  Presbytery  did  not  find  a  trial  necessary. 
Mr.  Taylor  was  so  unwise  as  to  engage  with  others  in  an  act  of 
violence  upon  a  man  named  Norton.     He  made  open  confes- 


108  HISTORY  OF  HURON  PRESBYTERY. 

sion  of  the  fact  that  a  conii)any  of  whicli  he  was  a  part  liad 
apprehended  the  man  Norton  in  the  vicinity  of  OberHn,  in  the 
night,  and  having  adjudged  him  guilty  of  writing  licentious 
letters  and  of  attempting  to  seduce  several  young  ladies,  they 
had  through  one  of  their  number — not  Mr.  Taylor  himself — 
inflicted  upon  his  back  twenty-five  lashes. 

This  is  one  of  those  cases  in  regard  to  which  there  is  room 
for  diversity  of  opinion.  If  the  man  Norton  were  guilty  as 
charged,  he  certainly  deserved  all  he  received.  If  he  wa« 
innocent,  his  self-appointed  judges  deserved  it  themselves. 
It  is  unfortunate  that  the  laws  of  the  State  do  not  mete  out  a 
due  penalty  for  such  licentious  attempts  upon  virtue  as  Norton 
was  charged  with,  and  that  in  cases  like  this,  and  some  others, 
there  is  sometimes  a  temptation  to  resort  to  the  court  of  Judge 
Lynch.  And  yet  we  know  that  this  judge  sometimes  makes 
fearful  mistakes.  The  case  must  be  a  very  extreme  and  a 
very  clear  one  to  warrant  a  wise  and  good  man  in  giving 
him  any  endorsement.  Is  such  a  thing  ever  justifiable  ?  It 
was  surely  a  bad  beginning  for  a  young  man  to  make,  as  a 
minister  of  the  Lord  Jesus,  to  become  an  active  participant  in 
such  a  transaction,  though  the  man  w\as  doubtless  guilt}'.  Mr. 
Taylor  not  only  admitted  the  fact,  but  confessed  the  wrong  of 
his  action  and  expressed  regret  therefor ;  yet,  notwithstanding 
this,  the  Presbytery  judged  it  best  to  revoke  his  license  to  preach 
the  Gospel.  They,  no  doubt,  did  wisely.  They  knew  the  facts 
and  the  man.  Mr.  Taylor  afterward  appeared  before  the  body 
desiring  to  make  statement  of  his  case.  He  was  heard  on  a 
reconsideration  of  the  act  of  revocation.  A  committee  reported 
a  paper  of  some  length  upon  the  subject,  which  was  adopted, 
but  which,  from  neglect,  was  not  placed  upon  the  records.  The 
license  to  preach  was,  however,  not  restored. 

Judicial  Case  No.  3 — Rev.  H.  Coivles. 

Out  of  the  above  investigation  there  grew  the  necessity  for 
another.  This  also  was  carried  to  its  conclusion  by  a  com- 
mittee.    Mr.   Cowles,   it  appears,    made   some   statements   in 


SOME  JUDICIAL    CASES.  109 

Presbj'-tery  which  led  to  the  appointing  of  a  committee  to 
correspond  with  him  regarding  his  own  relation  to  the 
"  Oberlin  outrage,"  as  the  Norton  difficulty  was  called.  Mr. 
Cowles  had  evidently  not  agreed  with  the  Presbytery  in  their 
disposition  of  the  case  of  Mr.  Taylor.  He  had  himself  been 
somewhat  forward  in  the  condemnation  of  the  man  Norton. 
It  was  charged  that  he  had  said  in  encouragement  of  the 
treatment  he  received  :  "  If  you  catch  him  use  him  roughly, 
and  send  him  out  of  town."  This  he  might  have  said 
without  being  far  in  the  wrong.  To  get  clear  of  a  vile 
character,  even  with  some  rough  handling,  might  not  be  a 
bad  thing. 

But  Mr.  Cowles  became  involved  in  difficulty  with  the 
Presbytery  regarding  the  matter.  He  disagreed  with  them, 
and  wrote  some  things  for  the  Oberlin  Evangelist  which 
seriously  impugned  the  Presbytery.  The  difference  of  opinion 
between  INIr.  Cowles  and  his  brethren  was  very  positive. 
Difficulties,  once  started,  do  not  easily  find  a  resting-place. 
The  sum  of  the  whole  matter  was  a  muddle.  The  muddle, 
with  some  strong  statements  made,  required  elucidation,  both 
for  the  honor  of  Mr.  Cowles  and  for  that  of  the  Presbyterv  as 
well. 

Mr.  C.  eventually  prepared  and  presented  a  full,  explanatory, 
and  apologetic  statement  of  his  own  language  and  conduct  in 
the  case,  which  was  accepted  by  the  Presbytery  as  satisfactory. 
Not  long  after  the  difficulty  was  thus  happily  settled,  Mr. 
Cowles  requested  a  letter  of  dismissal  to  the  Lorain  Association, 
which  was,  of  course,  granted.  This  also  did  Rev.  J.  J. 
Shipherd  ;  and  the  men,  both  able  and  excellent,  found  their 
own  place  in  congenial  Congregational  pastures,  thus  ending 
their  connection  with  Presbytery. 

Judicial  Case  No.  4 — Rev.  B.  Woodbury. 

In  addition  to  these  unpleasant  cases,  when  the  Synod 
attached  the  Presbytery  of  Maumee  to  that  of  Huron,  that 
bod}^  also  directed  Huron  Presbytery  to  take  up  and  issue  the 


110  HISTORY  OF  HURON  PRESBYTERY. 

case  of  Rev.  B.  Woodbury,  against  whom  charges  had  been 
preferred  in  the  Presbytery  of  Maiimee  and  im])roperly  pro- 
ceeded with. 

The  Presbytery  went  forward  to  obey  the  direction  of  the 
Synod,  and  began  the  year  1841  with  a  resolution  to  commit 
the  case  to  a  committee,  who  were  to  take  depositions  and  in 
due  time  report.  The  report  was  made  in  April,  and  revealed 
the  facts  that  a  difficulty  existed  in  the  church  of  Plain,  and 
that  Mr.  Woodbury  was  held,  in  some  way,  responsible  for  it. 
But  the  Committee  were  satisfied  that  the  origin  of  the  trouble 
was  to  be  found  elsewhere,  and  that,  as  Mr.  Woodbury  had 
made  such  acknowledgments  as  became  him  before  the  Presby- 
tery of  Maumee,  and  these  acknowledgments  were  read  before 
the  church  of  Plain,  and  as  they  seemed  to  the  Committee  to 
be  fully  satisfactory,  they  thought  it  right  and  best  that  the 
matter  be  dismissed  from  further  adjudication.  The  recommen- 
dation was  adopted  and  the  case  dismissed.  Ministers  with  no 
intentional  wrong  upon  their  part,  and  with  but  little  real 
wrong  in  heart  or  act,  may  sometimes  become  involved  in 
serious  difficulty.  In  such  cases  a  Presbyterial  investigation 
proves  a  blessing. 

UNSOUND  DOCTRINE. 

It  is  interesting  to  note  the  watchful  care  of  the  Presbytery, 
at  this  period  of  its  history,  over  the  ministers  and  churches,  in 
the  desire  to  keep  out,  not  only  evil  practices  in  life,  but  un- 
sound doctrine  and  questionable  ministerial  methods. 

THREE  GOOD  MEN  REJECTED. 
In  the  year  1840  Mr.  John  Dodd,  a  licentiate  of  the  Lorain 
Association  and  a  student  at  Oberlin,  and  two  other  young 
men,  brothers,  named  E.  H.  and  James  H.  Fairchild,  appeared 
before  the  Presbytery,  desiring  to  be  received  under  its  care 
and  to  be  licensed  to  preach  the  Gospel.  The  brothers  Fair- 
child  were  members  of  the  church  in  Brownhelm,  which  was 


THREE  GOOD  MEN  REJECTED.  Ill 

then  connected  with  the  Presbytery,  but  they  were  also  Ober- 
lin  students. 

Mr.  Dodd  was  examined  before  the  body  of  ministers  and 
elders.  The  other  two  were  referred  to  a  committee,  consisting 
of  Rev.  E.  Conger,  Rev.  A.  Newton,  and  Mr.  Birch,  an  elder  or 
deacon  from  the  church  of  Milan.  The  results  were  the  same 
in  all  three  cases.  The  young  men  were  all  candid  in  their 
answers  to  questions.  They  were  believers  in  some  of  the  then 
accepted  doctrines  at  Oberlin  regarding  "  Christian  perfection  " 
and  sanctification,  and  in  the  Oberlin  methods.  To  these  views 
and  methods  the  majority  of  the  Presbytery  were  very  decidedly 
opposed.  They  were  so  strongly  opposed  to  those  doctrines  and 
ways  that,  when  the  two  young  men  appeared  before  the  Com- 
mittee, they  were  simply  asked  if  they  believed  "  in  the  doc- 
trines taught  at  Oberlin  and  in  their  way  of  doing  things." 
The  answer  given  to  this  question  settled  the  whole  matter  of 
their  reception.  "The  Committee  thereupon  reported  adversely 
to  their  examination."  The  report  was,  after  some  vigorous 
discussion,  sustained  by  a  majority  vote.  They  were  rejected 
as  men  "  whose  sympathies,"  as  the  Committee  expressed  it, 
"  were  found  to  be  decidedly  with  other  ecclesiastical  associa- 
tions." The  decision  was  made  in  view  of  the  state  of  things 
in  the  churches,  and  under  the  weight  of  the  opposition  to  the 
doctrines  of  the  Oberlin  Institute.  And  for  these  reasons  alone 
it  was  judged  by  the  Presbytery  that  it  would  not  be  best  to 
receive  and  license  these  young  men. 

They  were  all  noble  and  worthy  men,  and  men  every  wa}^ 
worthy  of  a  place  in  the  Presbytery,  except  that  in  their  views 
of  certain  doctrines  and  methods  they  and  the  body  were  at 
variance.  They  found  their  places  elsewhere,  and  devoted 
their  lives  to  the  Master's  work.  Mr.  Dodd  eventually  became  a 
Presbyterian  minister,  laboring  as  such  in  the  State  of  New 
York  until  the  year  1864,  when  he  died,  leaving,  as  is  sup- 
posed, a  son,  who  to-day  succeeds  him  in  the  Presbyterian 
ministry.  As  for  the  other  two,  who  were  not  even  examined 
beyond  the  one  decisive  question,  they  both  arose  to  distinction 


112  HISTORY  OF  HURON  PRESBYTERY. 

in  usefulness  and  honor  in  the  Church  of  ("hrist.  The  one  was 
Rev.  E.  H.  Fairchild,  d.d.,  President  of  Berea  College,  Ky., 
where  he  died  in  the  year  1889.  The  other  was  no  less  a  per- 
son than  the  loved  and  esteemed  Rev.  Jas.  H.  Fairchild,  d.d., 
formerly  President  of  the  Oberlin  College,  and  now  a  teacher 
of  theology  in  that  Institution. 

Mr.  Dodd,  even  after  the  Presbytery  had  declined  to  receive 
him  under  its  care,  requested  permission  to  labor  in  the  churches 
within  its  bounds.  But  upon  a  report  made  b}'  Messrs.  Con- 
ger, Judson,  and  Davidson,  it  was  decided  that  inasmuch  as  to 
permit  him  to  labor  in  the  churches  would  virtually  be  taking 
him  under  Presbytcrial  care  as  a  licentiate,  and  as  the  dissemi- 
nation of  such  sentiments  as  he  had  avowed  before  the  body  had 
been  productive  of  commotion  and  evil  in  many  of  the  churches, 
as  it  so  seemed  to  these  brethren,  it  was  therefore  deemed  inex- 
pedient to  grant  the  request.  We  are  glad  to  note  the  evidence 
that  God's  grace  was  in  the  heart  of  the  three  young  men,  and 
that  He  led  them,  accepted  their  work,  and  blessed  them. 


OBERLIN  PERFECTIONISM. 

In  addition  to  the  above,  and  intimately  associated  therewith, 
it  was  deemed  necessary  on  the  part  of  the  Presbytery  to  give 
some  expression  of  its  position  regarding  those  certain  doctrines 
that  were  being  promulgated  from  Oberlin. 

It  has  been  generally  known  in  this  region  that  Dr.  Finney 
and  President  Mahan — earnest,  strong  and  worthy  Christian 
men  of  the  Oberlin  Institute — held  and  freely  advocated 
certain  peculiar  views  in  regard  to  sanctification.  The  subject 
itself  is  one  that  ought  to  interest  the  mind  and  heart  of  every 
child  of  God,  and  should  be  considered  in  the  light  of  the  clear 
teaching  of  God's  Word. 

The  doctrines  entertained  by  these  devoted  men  were  those 
of  "  Christian  Perfection  "  in  this  life,  and  were  of  the  strong 
and  extreme  type  of  these  doctrines.  They  had  occasioned  no 
little  adverse  criticism,  both  from  Congregationalists  and  Pres- 


OBERLIN  PERFECTIONISM.  113 

byterians,  but  especially  from  tbe  more  conservative  of  the 
latter  denomination.  The  peculiar  views  prevailed  largely  in 
Oberlin,  and  they  were  adopted  by  many  of  the  students  of  the 
Institute  and  by  its  particular  friends  elsewhere ;  and  doubtless 
to  a  considerable  extent  affected,  one  way  or  another,  the  sur- 
rounding regions.  Perhaps  here  and  there  an  adherent  of  the 
Presbytery  was  disposed  favorably  to  these  erroneous  views. 
They  had  been  preached  in  some  of  the  churches,  and  the 
preaching  had  not  been  without  its  influence. 

It  w^as  but  natural  that  the  Presbytery  of  Huron  should  fall 
under  suspicion  and  become  subject  to  the  charge  of  holding 
the  unsound  doctrines  which  were  so  earnestly  propagated  in 
the  immediate  vicinity.  This  would  be  so  especially  in  the 
minds  of  Old  School  Presbyterians,  who  had  for  some  years 
been  in  doubt  of  the  orthodoxy  of  this  whole  region.  Many 
of  this  class,  both  near  at  hand  and  elsewhere,  as  well  as  mem- 
bers of  other  communions,  did  suspect  the  Presbytery  of  being 
in  sympathy  with  much  of  the  then  questionable  Oberlinism. 
This  was,  however,  far  from  being  the  case.  None  were  more 
decidedly  opposed  to  these  doctrines  than  those  men  near  at 
hand,  wdio  heard  and  knew  most  of  them,  and  saw  and  felt 
most  of  their  effects.  None  were  better  able  to  judge  of  them 
by  their  fruits,  and  by  knowing  what  they  were,  and  then  com- 
paring them  with  the  Word  of  God,  than  were  they  ;  and  this 
the  ministers  of  this  Presbytery  did.  And  knowing  that  they 
were  regarded  with  suspicion,  they  deemed  it  expedient  to  allay 
the  suspicion  and  to  set  themselves  right  before  the  world. 

They,  therefore,  on  the  15th  of  April,  1841,  adopted  a  very 
strong  and  decided  paper  upon  these  Oberlin  doctrines,  and 
ordered  it  to  be  published  in  the  Ohio  and  the  New  York  Ob- 
servers, thus  giving  the  church  in  the  land  to  know  their  true 
position. 

The  paper  is  as  follows;  the  preamble  explains  the  reason  of 
its  adoption : — 

"  Whereas,   The   impression   exists   somewhat  extensively 


114  HISTORY  OF  HURON  PRESBYTERY. 

that  the  Presbyteries  of  the  Western  Reserve  approve  of  tlie 
peculiar  doctrines  inculcated  in  the  Oberlin  Institute; 

"And  Whkkkas,  This  impression  is  known  to  exist  with  re- 
gard to  this  Presbytery  in  particular,  within  whose  bounds  the 
Institute  is  located ; 

"  And,  Whekeas,  This  Presbytery  does  not  ai)prove  of  said 
doctrines,  but  regards  them  as  contrary  to  the  Word  of  God, 
and  of  dangerous  tendency ; 

"  Therefore  we  deem  it  a  duty  we  owe  to  ourselves,  to  the 
churches  under  our  care,  and  to  the  Christian  community  at 
large,  to  make  known  our  sentiments  in  regard  to  them,  and 
for  this  purpose  we  adopt  the  following  resolutions : — 

"  Resolved,  1st.  That  the  doctrine  of  '  Perfect  Holiness,'  or 
'  Entire  Sanctifi cation,'  as  held  by  the  professors  in  the  Oberlin 
Institute,  and  propagated  through  the  Oberlin  Evangelist  is  a 
dangerous  error,  and  contrary  to  the  Word  of  God. 

"  Resolved,  2d.  That  the  argument  in  support  of  this  doctrine, 
from  the  '  New  Covenant,'  involves  the  error  that  every  believer 
is  perfectly  sanctified  at  the  moment  of  believing,  and  that  no 
one  is  a  believer  who  is  not  thus  sanctified." 

In  this  resolution  there  is  reference  made  to  Mahan's  "  Chris- 
tian Perfection,"  pp.  29-35,  and  to  the  Oberlin  Evangelist, 
vol.  i,  page  105.  In  the  latter  we  find,  as  presented  by  Dr. 
Finney,  in  substance,  his  doctrine  of  Perfection.  He  refers  to 
the  Old  Covenant,  and  maintains  that  it  was  an  oufivard  cove- 
nant ;  that  it  was  a  broken  covenant ;  that  it  was  designed  to 
develop  sin  ;  "  by  it  is  the  knowledge  of  sin  " ;  and  that  it  could 
not  make  perfect.  Then  he  refers  to  the  New  Covenant,  main- 
taining that  it  is  "  the  effectual  sanctification  by  the  Spirit ; 
that  it  is  an  inward  covenant,  the  indwelling  of  the  Spirit  of 
God  writing  the  law  in  the  heart,  begetting  and  maintaining 
the  very  obedience  required  by  the  Old  Covenant;  that,  while  the 
Old  was  broken,  the  New  shall  not  be  broken  by  those  w^ho  re- 
ceive it ;  that,  while  the  Old  was  the  strength  of  sin,  the  New^  is 
the  death  of  sin.     He  quotes  a  great  many  scriptures  in  proof 


OBERLIN  PERFECTIONISM.  115 

of  his  position,  such  as  Exekiel  xxxvi,  25-27 :  "  Tlien  will  I 
sprinkle  clean  water  upon  3'ou  and  ye  shall  be  clean  :  from  all 
your  filthiness  and  from  all  your  idols  will  I  cleanse  you;  and 
I  will  put  my  Spirit  within  you  and  cause  you  to  walk  in  my 
statutes,  and  ye  shall  keep  my  judgments  and  do  them."'  Also, 
Romans  vi,  2 :  "  How  shall  we  that  are  dead  to  sin  live  any 
longer  therein'^  "  And  Gal.  vi,  16  :  "  Walk  in  the  Spirit  and  ye 
shall  not  fulfill  the  lust  of  the  flesh."  These  scriptures,  with 
many  others  of  like  character  and  force,  are  quoted,  and  then 
the  question  is  asked,  "  What  do  these  passages  mean,  if  they 
do  not  teach  a  death  to  sin'! "  The  declaration  is  made  that 
"  this  is  not  spoken  of  a  future  state  of  existence,  but  of  saints  in 
this  world,"  and  "  if  these  passages  do  not  contain  an  account 
of  a  state  of  entire  sanctification,"  then  Dr.  Finney  "  believes 
there  are  none  in  the  Bible  that  contain  such  an  account,  either 
in  reference  to  this  world,  or  heaven  itself." 

Again,  he  says  :  "  If  these  passages  do  not  speak  of  a  state  of 
entire  sanctification,  then  there  are  none  that  speak  of  a  state  of 
entire  depravity.  If  to  be  dead  in  trespasses  and  sins  is  not  a 
state  of  total  depravity,  then  I  do  not  know  that  total  depravity 
is  taught  in  the  Bible.  But  if  to  be  dead  in  sin  is  total  de- 
pravity, then  to  be  dead  to  sin  must  be  total  or  entire  holiness." 
This,  of  course,  involves  the  error  that  every  truly  regenerate 
soul  is  perfectly  holy.  This  was  not  at  first  the  avowed  belief 
of  Dr.  Finney.  In  his  earlier  preaching,  even  at  Oberlin,  he 
was  so  far  from  being  a  "  Perfectionist,"  that  he  declared  that 
he  would  go  a  hundred  miles  on  his  hands  and  knees  to  see  a 
man  that  was  living  without  sin.  But  the  special  doctrine  that, 
in  1837-40,  prevailed  was,  that  there  is  a  special  experience, 
which  is  within  the  reach  of  any  Christian,  which  translates 
him  into  a  state  of  perfect  sanctification.  But  the  views  advo- 
cated by  Dr.  Finney  involved  more  than  this,  and  eventually 
he  avowed  more  than  this.  In  defining  regeneration,  he  says  : 
"  It  implies  an  entire  present  change  of  moral  character  ;  that  is, 
a  change  from  entire  sinfulness  to  entire  holiness." 

But   to   meet  the  fact  wliich  is  clearly  against  him,  that 


116  HISTORY  OF  HURON  PRESBYTERY. 

if  there  be  any  regenerate  souls,  he  would  have  to  walk  more 
than  a  hundred  miles  to  find  one  of  them  living  without  sin, 
he  gives  the  Obcrlin  idea  of  wJiat  ottire  mticfijication  is.  He 
asks,  "  What  do  we  understand  by  Christian  Perfection,  and 
what  does  the  law,  which  is  holy,  just  and  good,  require  ?  " 

These  questions  he  thus  answers  :  "  The  law  does  not  require 
that  we  should  love  God  as  much  as  we  should  be  under 
obligation  to  love  him  had  we  a  perfect  knowledge  of  all  our 
relations  ;  nor  in  the  same  degree  of  love  tliat  we  should  have 
rendered  had  we  never  abused  our  powers  by  sin ;  nor  the 
same  love  that  we  might  have  rendered  had  we  as  much 
knowledge  of  God  as  we  might  have  gained  if  we  had  always 
improved  our  time  in  the  acquisition  of  knowledge."  Keeping 
the  law  as  might  justly  be  expected  of  us  in  view  of  our  actual 
condition  and  relations,  in  which  we  are  at  present  found,  this 
is  Christian  Perfection.  "  The  New  Covenant  is  perfection 
itself."  But  the  perfection  of  holiness  is  only  such  a  perfection 
as  a  weakened,  sin-blinded,  and  actually  erring  son  of  man, 
who  is,  nevertheless,  regenerate,  can  and  does  exhibit.  The 
requirement  of  God's  holy  law  comes  down  to  accommodate 
itself  to  the  regenerate  man,  so  that  however  imperfect  in 
fact,  he  may  still  think  of  himself  as  dead  to  sin  in  the  sense  of 
being  perfectly  holy.  Two  men,  therefore,  who  are  greatly 
different  in  Christian  morality,  may  yet  both  of  them  be  per- 
fectly sanctified,  because  one  of  them  has  been  more  sunken  in 
sin  and  ignorance  before  his  conversion  than  the  other,  and 
therefore  the  law  cannot  expect  so  much  of  him. 

This  was  in  substance  the  doctrine  of  sanctification  as  given 
in  the  Oberlin  Evangelist,  a  magazine  started  for  the  pur[)Ose 
of  promulgating  these  views — and  in  Mahan's  "  Christian 
Perfection,"  which  aroused  the  fathers  and  brethren  of  Huron 
Presbytery  to  say  that  "  it  involved  the  error  that,  as  main- 
tained by  the  argument  from  the  New  Covenant,  every  be- 
liever is  perfectly  sanctified  at  the  moment  of  believing,  and 
that  no  one  is  a  believer  who  is  not  thus  sanctified." 

With  the  doctrine  as  given  above — and  fairly  as  we  believe 


OBERLIN  PERFECTIONISM.  117 

— before  us,  we  can  see  the  reasonableness  and  force  of  the 
several  resolutions. 

"  Resolved,  3d.  "  That  while  the  doctrine  professedly  aims  to 
secure  a  higher  standard  of  holiness,  its  legitimate  effect  is  to 
lower  the  standard." 

This  was  assumed  to  be  true  in  view  of  the  claim  that  the 
law  accommodated  itself  to  the  man.  The  standard  lowered 
itself. 

"  Besolved,  4th.  That  one  of  the  most  deplorable  tendencies 
of  this  doctrine  is  to  fritter  down,  and  practically  annul,  the 
law  of  God  as  a  rule  of  duty." 

Under  this  resolution  the  Oberlin  Evangelist  is  again  re- 
ferred to,  as  is  also  President  Mahan's  book.  In  the  Evangelist 
we  read :  "  The  inquiry  is,  not  what  does  the  law  demand  of 
angels,  of  Adam,  previous  to  the  fall ;  not  what  it  will  de- 
mand in  a  future  state  of  existence  ;  not  what  it  will  demand 
of  the  Church  in  some  future  period  of  its  history  on  earth, 
when  the  human  constitution,  by  the  universal  prevalence  of 
correct  and  thorough  temperance  principles,  may  have  acquired 
its  pristine  health  and  powers ;  but  the  question  is,  "  What 
does  the  law  of  God  require  of  Christians  now,  in  all  respects, 
in  our  circumstances,  with  all  the  ignorance  and  debility  of 
body  and  mind  which  have  resulted  from  the  intemperance 
and  abuse  of  the  human  constitution  through  so  many 
generations  ?  " 

"  The  law  levels  its  claims  to  us  as  we  are,  and  a  just  expo- 
sition of  it,  as  I  have  already  said,  under  all  the  present 
circumstances  of  our  being,  is  indispensable  to  a  right  appre- 
hension of  what  constitutes  entire  sanctification." 

Dr.  Finney  here  adds :  "  To  be  sure,  there  may  be  danger 
of  frittering  away  the  claims  of  the  law,  and  letting  down  the 
standard."  And  then  he  goes  on  to  answer,  so  that  the  Pres- 
bytery have  partl}^  but  used  his  own  words  in  their  objections 
to  the  doctrine. 

"  Resolved,  5th,  That  the  sentiment  held  in  connection  with 
this  doctrine,  that  the  testimony  of  consciousness  is  sufficient 


118  HISTORY  OF  HURON  PREHBYTERY. 

evidence  in  a  particular  case  of  tlie  actual  attainment  of  entire 
sanctitication,  is  false  and  tends  directly  to  oj)en  the  floodgates 
of  licentiousness  and  fanaticism." 

Dr.  Finney  had  said,  that,  "  With  the  law  of  God  before  us 
as  our  standard,  the  testimony  of  consciousness,  in  regard  to 
whether  the  mind  is  conformed  to  that  standard  or  not,  is  the 
highest  evidence  which  the  mind  can  have  of  a  present  state 
of  conformity  to  that  rule.  It  is  a  testimony  which  we  cannot 
doubt  an}^  more  than  we  can  doubt  our  existence." 

If  this  be  so,  then  consciousness  becomes  the  umpire,  and  the 
man  relying  upon  it  may  feel  satisfied  with  himself,  and  assert 
his  claim  to  perfection.  The  probability  is  that  some  cases  of 
looseness  of  habit  and  fanaticism  had  been  witnessed  by  the 
members  of  the  Presbytery.  At  any  rate  they  thought  tliat 
such  would  be  the  legitimate  result  of  the  sentiment. 

"  Resolved,  6th,  That  the  principle  of  interpreting  the  prom- 
ises, assumed  by  the  advocates  of  this  doctrine,  is  a  virtual  de- 
nial of  the  doctrine  of  special  grace,  and  the  saints'  j-tersever- 
ance." 

The  reference  here  is  to  a  sermon  by  Dr.  Finney,  on  the  text, 
"  Let  him  that  thinketh  he  standeth,  take  heed  lest  he  fall," 
in  which  his  language  is  calculated  to  leave  an  impression  that 
he  makes  too  little  of  the  doctrine  of  special  grace.  He  is  often 
nearer  the  truth  than  he  seems  to  be. 

In  his  closing  remarks  in  this  sermon  he  presses  to  an  ap- 
parent extreme  the  idea  that  no  Christian,  nor  saint,  nor  angel 
in  Heaven,  can  ever  be  in  a  state  of  unconditional  justification, 
and  that  the  conditions  are  wholly  with  the  creature.  He  does 
not  mean  to  ignore  the  grace  of  God,  for  he  claims  in  all  his 
teaching  that  the  new  covenant  is  God's  Spirit  in  us.  But  he 
leaves  the  idea  of  special  grace,  back  of  all  that  the  man  does, 
too  much  out  of  sight,  while  urging  the  conditions  of  justifica- 
tion, of  a  state  of  grace  and  of  final  perseverance. 

He  says  of  those  who  have  had  the  idea  that  some  promise 
of  Christ  would  keep  them,  and  who  have  afterwards  fallen 
into  sin,  and  who  consequently  have  been  discouraged  and 


OBERLIN  PERFECTI0NIS3I.  119 

have  been  tempted  to  entertain  thoughts  of  doubt,  that  "  mis- 
understanding the  promise,  and  leaving  out  of  view  the  con- 
dition, was  the  foundation  of  the  assumption  that  Christ  was 
pledged  for  your  perseverance  in  holiness.  You  expected  of 
Christ  what  he  never  promised,  except  upon  a  condition  that 
you  have  not  fulfilled."  The  truth  in  all  this  is  perfectly  clear. 
Alas  for  the  Christian  who  forgets  the  conditions,  to  watch,  to 
pray,  and  to  take  heed  lest  he  fall ! 

But  the  sermon  goes  on  :  "  To  this  view  of  the  subject  it  has 
been  objected  that,  if  this  is  true,  the  promises  of  the  gospel 
amount  only  to  this,  that  Christ  will  keep  us  if  ive  ivill  keep  our- 
selves. To  this  I  answer  :  That  in  a  very  important  sense  this 
is  true.  I  have  formerly  felt  this  objection  strongly  myself, 
and  was  strongly  inclined  to,  and  even  entertained,  an  opposite 
opinion.  What,  I  asked,  can  the  promises  of  the  gospel  mean 
nothing  more  than  this,  '  I  ivill  keep  him  who  will  keep  himself?^ 
Much  consideration  and  prayer,  with  searching  the  Word  of 
God,  have  led  me  to  the  conviction  that  this  is  the  exact  truth, 
and  this  opinion  is  in  exact  keeping  with  the  whole  providen- 
tial government  of  God.  So  that  He  saves  only  those  who  will 
save  themselves.  Nor  does  this  in  the  least  degree  set  aside  or 
depreciate  the  grace  of  God ;  nor  at  all  deny  or  set  aside  any 
correct  idea  of  the  sovereignty  of  God ;  nor  does  it  touch  the 
question  of  the  perseverance  of  the  saints." 

It  was  certainly  not  Dr.  Finney's  thought  to  deny  special 
grace,  nor  the  saints'  perseverance.  But  as  he  used  language 
which  was  extra -Scriptural  when  he  said,  while  seeking  to 
impress  the  duty  of  observing  the  conditions  of  blessing,  that 
"  Christ  ivill  save  only  those  who  will  save  themselves,^'  and  placed 
in  the  background  the  grace  of  God  toward  his  elect,  it  ap- 
peared to  the  members  of  Huron  Presbytery  that  he  was 
virtually  denying  these  great  doctrines. 

"  Resolved,  7th.  That  the  views  held  in  connection  with  this 
doctrine,  respecting  the  carnal  nature  of  man,  are  calculated 
greatly  to  diminish  a  sense  of  the  evil  of  sin,  and  to  lead  men 


120  HISTORY  OF  HURON  PRESBYTERY. 

to  place   undue   reliance   on    mere   bodily   austerities  for  its 
removal." 

It  is  probable  that  in  the  excited  state  of  the  church  in  tlie 
neighborhood,  and  of  some  in  the  ministry,  this  resolution 
would  have  more,  from  conversations  and  from  some  sermons, 
to  give  it  validity  than  would  appear  from  anything  written  by 
either  President  Mahan  or  Dr.  Finney.  Yqt  there  are  refer- 
ences to  utterances  by  the  latter  in  the  Evangelist.  We  find 
such  as  these :  "  All  sin  then  does  just  so  much  towards  crip- 
pling and  curtailing  the  powers  of  body  and  mind,  and  ren- 
dering them,  by  just  so  much,  incapable  of  performing  the 
service  they  might  otherwise  have  rendered." 

"  Perfect  sanctification  does  not  imply  the  same  strength  of 
holy  affections  that  Adam  may  have  exercised  before  he  fell 
and  his  powers  were  debilitated  by  sin.  It  should  never  be  for- 
gotten that  the  mind,  in  this  state  of  existence,  is  wholly 
dependent  upon  the  brain  and  physical  system  for  its  devel- 
opment. For  myself  I  have  very  little  doubt  that  the  human 
constitution  is  capable  of  being  very  nearly,  if  not  entirely, 
renovated  from  the  evils  of  intemperance  by  a  right  under- 
standing of,  and  an  adherence  to,  the  laws  of  life  and  health. 
If  this  is  so,  the  time  may  come  when  obedience  to  the  law  of 
God,  will  imply  as  great  strength  and  constancy  of  affection  as 
Adam  was  capable  of  exercising  before  the  fall.  But  if  not, 
then  no  sucli  thing  is  implied  in  perfect  sanctification  as  was 
to  be  expected  of  Adam." 

He  blames  the  body  for  the  sin  in  the  world,  and  for  much 
of  the  backsliding  of  Christians.  He  says  he  never  made  any 
perceptible  advance  in  real  piety  himself,  until  his  ill  health 
turned  his  mind  to  look  at  the  physical  causes  of  spiritual 
bondage. 

He  says :  "  I  am  fully  convinced  that  the  flesh  has  more  to 
do  with  the  backsliding  of  Christians  than  either  the  world  or 
the  devil." 

He  asks :     "  Is  it  not  true  that  the  ignorance  and  silence  of 


0 BERLIN  PERFECTIONISM.  121 

the  ministry  in  respect  to  the  influence  of  the  flesh,  and  the 
means  of  keeping  the  body  under  and  bringing  it  into  subjection  are 
leaving  the  church  quietly  to  slumber  over  these  inevitable 
causes  of  backsliding  ?  " 

"  Almost  every  person,  whether  he  is  aware  of  it  or  not,  is  in 
a  greater  or  less  degree  a  dyspeptic,  and  suflering  under  some 
form  of  disease  arising  out  of  intemperance.  And  I  would 
humbly  ask.  Is  it  understood  and  proclaimed  by  ministers, 
that  a  person  can  no  more  expect  healthy  manifestations  of 
mind  in  a  fit  of  dyspepsia  than  in  a  fit  of  intoxication  ?  " 

Who  can  doubt  the  importance  and  truth  of  much  of  this. 
The  difficulty  is,  that  when  brought  in  in  connection  with  the 
doctrine  of  entire  sanctification,  and  when  the  weakness  of  the 
body  and  the  constitutional  infirmities  of  a  man  are  presented 
as  a  reason  why  the  law  of  God  has  no  right  to  require  very 
much  of  him,  and  when  the  man  is  told  that,  yet,  far  short  as 
he  may  come  of  being  what  Adam  may  have  been,  he  may 
still  regard  himself  as  perfectly  holy;  when  this  is  the  case, 
it  seems  to  the  members  of  the  Presbytery  that  such  views,  in 
this  connection  were  calculated  to  diminish  the  sense  of  the  evil 
of  sin,  and  to  lead  men  to  place  undue  reliance  on  mere  bodily 
austerities  for  its  removal.  Remove  the  bodily  infirmity  and  the 
way  to  Heaven  will  be  easy.     Subdue  the  body  and  be  holy. 

"  Resolved,  8th.  That  the  views  expressed  on  justification  are 
contrary  to  the  Scriptural  and  Protestant  doctrine  of  justifica- 
tion by  faith,  and  necessarily  involve  the  doctrine  that  man  is 
not  justified  by  faith  alone,  but  by  works." 

The  doctrine  of  justification  by  faith  alone,  which  was  the 
doctrine  of  the  members  of  the  Presbytery,  the  Protestant  doc- 
trine, was  that  whenever  one  truly  believed  in  the  Lord  Jesus 
Christ,  he  was  pardoned,  justified  by  faith.  They  would  refer 
to  such  scriptures  as  these  to  sustain  their  views :  "  He  that 
believeth  is  not  condemned,"  ''  There  is  now  therefore  no  con- 
demnation to  them  that  are  in  Christ  Jesus,"  "  A  man  is  justi- 
fied by  faith  without  the  deeds  of  the  law,"  "  Christ  is  the  end 
of  the  law  for  righteousness  to  every  man  that  believeth,"  etc. 


122  IIISTOIIY  OF  IlUnOX   I'RESnYTEUY. 

Dr.  Finney,  however,  in  the  sermon  before  referred  to  on  the 
text,  "  Let  him  that  thinketh  he  standeth  take  heed  lest  he 
fall,"  uses  some  remarkable  language,  as  it  appeared  to  these 
brethren.  He  says,  "  No  one  act  of  faith,  nor  any  other  exer- 
cise, can  render  salvation  from  sin  or  hell  unconditionally  cer- 
tain." This  certainly  would  be  true  if  there  was  to  be  but  one 
act,  and  nothing  more ;  but  he  proceeds  :  "  Sanctification,  justi- 
fication, and  final  salvation  are  all  put  upon  the  same  ground, 
and  it  cannot  be  true  that  men  are  justified  any  farther  than 
they  are  sanctified;  or  that  they  are,  or  ever  can  be,  saved  any 
farther  than  they  are  cleansed  from  sin.  Gospel  justification  is 
generally  defined  to  be  pardon  and  acceptance  ;  but  can  a  soul 
be  pardoned  any  farther  than  he  is  penitent  or  obedient?  The 
distinction  that  is  commonly  made,  then,  between  instantaneous 
justification  and  progressive  sixnctification  must  be  without  foun- 
dation." Dr.  Finney  uses  the  above  remarkable  language,  when 
he  might  have  said,  consistently  wdtli  the  Bible,  and  with  his 
own  preaching  before  this  time,  and  with  his  declaration  after 
this  time,  that  whosoever  believeth,  and  just  when  he  believeth, 
on  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  shall  be  saved.  He  said,  a  few  years 
afterward  that  "  regeneration  implied  an  entire  present  change 
of  moral  character ;  that  is,  a  change  from  entire  sinfulness  to 
entire  holiness."  And  certainly  where  there  is  the  one  act  of 
real  faith,  saving  faith,  there  is  regeneration. 

Here,  however,  in  the  above  declarations  he  appears,  to  the 
members  of  Huron  Presbytery,  to  involve  the  denial  of  the 
Scriptural  and  Protestant  doctrine  of  justification  by  faith,  and 
he  certainly  does.  He  advocates  a  doctrine  of  justification 
through  sanctification.  A  man  must  be  purified  before  he  can 
be  pardoned  and  accepted.  If  this  be  true,  then  holiness  must 
come  before  forgiveness. 

"  Resolved,  9th.  That  much  of  what  is  claimed  as  new  by  the 
advocates  of  these  peculiar  views  is  nothing  else  than  what  our 
orthodox  churches  have  ever  received  as  most  important  truth, 
particularly  in  reference  to  the  promises  of  the  Gospel  and  the 
possibility  of  attaining  perfection ;  and  that  the  blending  of 


ORERLIN  PERFECTIONISM.  123 

these  old  and  admitted  truths  with  their  novelties,  in  the  man- 
ner done  by  them,  is  uncandid  and  unfair,  and  is  calculated 
greatly  to  mislead  the  popular  mind. 

"  Resolved,  10th.  That  we  have  the  lamentable  evidence  of 
the  evils  resulting  from  tlie  Oberlin  doctrines,  measures,  and 
spirit  in  the  divisions  and  strifes  they  have  occasioned  in  many 
of  our  churches,  and  in  their  tendency  to  unsettle  the  minds  of 
Christians  in  regard  to  some  of  the  most  important  doctrines  of 
the  Gospel,  to  break  the  established  and  wholesome  rules  of 
church  order,  and  to  destroy  pastoral  relations. 

"  11th.  That  it  is  inconsistent  for  any  one  holding  these  sen- 
timents to  call  himself  a  Presbyterian  or  a  Congregationalist  of 
the  New  England  stamp ;  and  that  it  is  inexpedient  for  this 
body  to  receive  such  into  its  connection. 

"  12th.  That  those  members  of  our  churches  and  ministers 
of  this  body  who  hold  these  doctrines  ought,  as  honest  men 
and  Christians,  peacefully  to  leave  these  bodies  and  unite  with 
those  whose  sentiments  harmonize  with  their  own. 

"  13th.  That  Presbytery  deem  it  inexpedient  that  the 
churches  under  its  care  should  employ  those  ministers  who 
are  known  to  entertain  these  sentiments." 

Thus  boldly  and  pointedly  did  Huron  Presbytery  come  up 
to  the  defense  of  its  own  churches  and  its  doctrine,  repudiating, 
as  the  exigencies  seemed  to  demand,  doctrines  which  they  re- 
garded unscriptural  and  injurious. 

There  was  in  the  body,  so  far  as  recorded,  no  direct  opposi- 
tion to  the  views  expressed  in  these  resolutions — no  denial  of 
the  facts  or  disagreement  regarding  the  doctrines  held.  There 
was,  however,  a  minority  protest,  signed  by  three  ministers,  L. 
H.  Loss,  John  Monteith,  and  J.  A.  Hart,  and  by  six  others. 
Homer  Johnson,  Samuel  Moss,  Hiram  Hall,  Ch.  L.  Cook,  I. 
Curtis,  and  Jacob  Minton.  The  grounds  of  this  protest  were, 
that  the  resolutions  were  personal ;  that  they  specified  the  insti- 
tution and  the  individuals  who  taught  the  repudiated  doc- 
trines ;  that  there  was  danger  that  their  action  would  be  attrib- 
uted to  party  hostility  and  intolerance ;  that  one  or  more  of 


124  HISTOItY  OF  HURON  PRESBYTERY. 

the  persons  specially  pointed  out  were  nieinl)ers  of  the  Presby- 
tery, and  that  they  were  thus  advised  to  leave  the  body  on 
penalty  of  forfeiting  their  reputation  as  honest  men  and  as 
Christians ;  and  that  thus  their  judicial  condemnation  was 
forestalled  wdiile  as  yet  no  charges  had  been  tabled  and  no 
opportunity  given  for  self-defense ;  and  finally,  that  while  they 
believed  in  free  discussion  of  all  doctrines,  they  yet  thought  it 
wrong  to  make  the  discussion  the  vehicle  of  reproach  and 
scandal  to  those  who  differ  with  us  by  publishing  sentence 
against  them  without  giving  the  documents  condemned  a  fair 
and  extensive  examination. 

These  protestants  claimed,  furthermore,  in  the  outstart  of 
their  protest,  that  they  themselves  had  presented  a  paper,  as  a 
substitute  for  the  one  passed  by  the  body,  which  would  have 
covered  the  whole  ground  to  be  covered,  without  the  admission 
of  any  of  these  objectionable  features. 

They  had,  in  the  fear  that  trouble  in  the  churches  would  re- 
sult from  the  adoption  of  the  paper  proposed,  presented  to  the 
body  a  substitute.  It  was  a  very  brief  one,  stating  the  impres- 
sion that  was  abroad  concerning  the  Presbytery,  and  then  de- 
claring the  doctrine  of  perfect  and  permanent  holiness  in  this 
life  to  be  unscriptural  and  of  dangerous  tendency,  and  that,  in 
opposition  to  this  doctrine  and  its  affiliated  errors,  they  con- 
tinued to  adhere  steadfastly  to  their  own  standards. 

This  was  a  repudiation  of  the  false  doctrine,  and  yet  it 
seemed  to  the  majority  that  the  public  interest,  the  reputation 
of  the  Presbytery,  the  good  of  the  churches,  and  the  circum- 
stances required  something  more  full,  strong,  and  pointed  than 
this.  They  postponed  the  adoption  of  the  majority  paper  to 
hear  and  consider  this  one,  and  then,  having  adopted  the  for- 
mer, they  admitted  the  latter  to  a  place  on  the  records.  It 
had  at  least  the  virtues  of  honesty,  plausibility,  and  reason  in 
several  respects. 

The  body  deemed  it  worthy  of  a  reply.  Messrs.  A.  H.  Betts, 
E.  Judson,  and  H.  Brown,  as  committee,  reported  the  reply 
which  was  adopted.     They  declare  that  they  felt  it  needful  to 


OBERLIN  PERFECTIONISM.  125 

answer  the  protest  because  it  was  the  first  time  such  a  document 
had  ever  been  put  upon  their  records,  which  had  exhibited  for 
so  long  a  time  the  most  perfect  harmony  of  sentiment  among 
the  members,  and  because  the  protest  was  calculated  to  leave 
a  wrong  impression  upon  those  who  might  read  it. 

They  say  that  those  not  acquainted  with  the  facts  might  be- 
lieve that  the  substitute  was  sufficient  to  meet  the  exigencies  of 
the  case ;  but  that  which  did  not  aim  directly  at  the  point 
where  the  difficulty  existed  surel}'^  could  not  meet  it.  Such  a 
disclaimer,  they  say,  might  have  given  relief  to  those  who  were 
in  doubt  of  the  orthodoxy  of  the  Presbytery,  but  it  would  have 
been  impotent  against  those  who  have  so  often  blinded  the 
minds  of  the  churches  by  professing  to  hold  doctrines  which 
were  but  little,  if  any,  different  from  our  own  standards.  They 
did  not  presume  to  judge  unwarrantably  any  member  of  the 
body ;  but,  if  there  were  any  who  held  to  doctrines  so  erroneous, 
they  thought  it  but  Christian  honesty  that  they  peaceably 
withdraw.  They  did  not  want  any,  as  they  seem  to  think  there 
had  been  such,  who  would  mislead  the  people  by  claiming 
that  the  views  they  preached  were  in  harmony  with  the  stand- 
ards, when  they  were  not,  to  continue  within  the  Presbyterial 
jurisdiction.  They  did  not  specify  any  of  their  own  number 
as  holding  these  false  doctrines,  but  they  evidently  had  a  point 
in  view  besides  merely  satisfying  those  who  were  in  doubt  of 
the  orthodoxy  of  the  Presbytery.  They  wished  to  pass  resolu- 
tions that  would  not  be  impotent  at  home  if  there  were  an  un- 
sound member  or  two.  They  would  say  to  such,  "  You  ought, 
in  justice  to  yourselves  and  to  our  churches,  to  leave  us  in 
peace."  In  the  cases  where  the  resolutions  adopted  were  per- 
sonal, reference  is  made  to  published  and  acknowledged  docu- 
ments, and  to  men  who  counted  it  their  honor  that  they  held 
the  repudiated  sentiments.     Such  men  should  take  no  offense. 

Therefore,  the  Presbytery  had  but  little  fear  that  any,  who 
looked  at  the  facts  and  the  whole  transaction,  would  give  credit 
to  the  cry  of  persecution,  or  party  spirit,  or  hostility.  As  for 
the  churches,  it  was  desirable  that  they  understand  what  the 


126  HISTOIiV  OF  HURON  PRESBYTERY. 

false  doctrines  were,  in  what  respects  they  were  false,  whence 
they  had  been  i)roniulgated,  and  to  be  put  on  their  guard 
against  them.  Therefore  it  was  deemed  necessary  by  the  ma- 
jority of  the  body  to  give  full  and  pointed  expression  to  the 
whole  subject. 

The  main  difference  between  the  majority  and  the  minority 
was  one  of  prudence  and  expediency,  rather  than  of  doctrinal 
view  or  sentiment. 

These  views  regarding  entire  sanctification  were  helping  to 
draw  the  lines,  in  this  part  of  the  Reserve,  between  the  Pres- 
bytery and  the  Association.  Such  views  could  stand  and  be 
tolerated  in  the  Association,  while  they  could  not  be  encour- 
aged in  the  Presbytery.  We  therefore  observe  that,  within  a 
short  space  of  time,  several  of  the  ministers — Rev.  J.  J.  Ship- 
herd  and  Rev.  H.  Cowles — transfer  their  relations  from  tlie 
latter  to  the  former,  and  they  went  without  any  sense  of  stain 
upon  their  good  name  in  any  direction. 

It  appears  but  just  to  Oberlin,  and  the  great  and  good  men 
who  have  held  sway  there,  and». those  who  are  to-day  standing 
in  her  gates,  that  the  following  lines,  from  the  pen  of  President 
Fairchild,  should  be  inserted  here.  He  says  :  "  These  views  (of 
sanctification)  were  held  forth  as  something  new — not  in  the 
sense  that  they  were  not  apostolic  or  scriptural,  but  in  the 
sense  that  they  had  been  lost  sight  of  in  the  general  teachings 
and  experience  of  the  Church.  The  Christian  community 
generally  received  them  as  something  not  only  new,  but  as 
false  and  mischievous ;  and  thus  a  discussion  arose,  and  spread 
far  and  wide,  and  warnings  and  testimonies  against  error  were 
uttered  by  leading  men  and  by  presbyteries,  on  the  subject  of 
the  '  Oberlin  heresy,'  and  for  years  it  was  a  question  whether 
the  Oberlin  Church  and  Oberlin  men  should  liave  a  recognized 
standing  witli  any  religious  body  in  the  land.  The  pressure 
from  without  tended  to  the  establishment  of  an  Oberlin  sect. 
This  tendency  was  wisely  resisted  here.  It  was  thought  better 
to  accept,  for  the  present,  mere  toleration,  and  wait  for  the 
future  and  God's  providence  to  bring  a  heartier  fellowship. 


OBERLIN  PERFECTIONISM.  127 

That  day  came  at  length,  either  from  a  change  here  or  abroad,  or, 
as  is  most  probable,  from  a  better  understanding  on  both  sides. 

"  The  visible  impulse  of  the  movement  to  a  great  extent  ex- 
pended itself  within  the  first  few  years.  The  special  experi- 
ences connected  with  it  became  less  prominent  and  less  sought 
after.  Those  who  had  enjoyed  these  experiences,  especially 
those  whose  characters  commanded  most  confidence,  seldom 
alluded  to  them  as  peculiar,  or  as  separating  them  from  the 
great  body  of  Christian  people.  Their  views  of  the  gospel 
were  enriched  and  they  could  speak  of  a  living  and  present 
Saviour,  because  they  had  seen  him  and  felt  his  power. 
Those  who  went  out  as  preachers  under  the  impulse  of  fresh 
experience,  came  at  length  to  see  that  the  old  gospel  contained 
their  message,  and  they  found  it  more  useful  to  present  the 
present  and  living  Saviour  than  to  set  forth  sanctification  as  a 
special  theory  or  special  experience. 

"  So  far  as  I  am  informed,  not  one  among  them  all  continued 
for  any  length  of  time  to  be  recognized  as  a  preacher  of  these 
special  views.  They  did  not  repudiate  their  former  views,  and 
have  never  done  so  ;  but  they  probably  found  them  less  diver- 
gent than  th6y  supposed  from  the  common  faith.  They  could 
preach  the  truth  as  it  is  in  Jesus  more  effectively  than  by  giving 
to  their  doctrine  the  odor  of  Christian  perfection  or  the  higher 
life.  Whatever  the  motive  that  operated,  the  result  was  as  has 
been  stated. 

"  At  home,  if  I  have  not  misapprehended  the  case,  there 
came  to  be  less  confidence  in  the  style  of  Christian  culture 
involving  a  special  experience,  which  the  movement  intro- 
duced. It  became  more  and  more  a  matter  of  doubt  whether 
the  seeking  of  sanctification  as  a  special  experience  was,  on  the 
whole,  to  be  encouraged ;  and  it  was  not  in  general  an  occasion 
of  satisfaction  when  a  young  man  gave  himself  up  to  seek  '  the 
blessing; '  and  when  he  obtained  what  seemed  to  him  to  be  the 
thing  he  sought,  there  came  to  be  less  confidence  that  he  had 
made  substantial  progress.  It  was  found  that  such  experiences 
were  not  always  associated  with  the  most  stable  and  symmetri- 


128  HISrORY  OF  HJ'RON  PRESBYTKKV. 

cal  character.  Indeed,  if  I  have  rightly  observed,  it  came  at 
length  to  be  the  fact,  more  than  at  first,  that  persons  of  less 
balanced  character  were  more  likely  to  share  in  the  special  ex- 
perience. 

"  It  soon  appeared  that  persons  who  had  not  partaken  of  the 
peculiar  experience  in  its  extensive  forms  were  just  as  earnest 
and  effective  Christian  workers  in  the  different  departments  of 
Christian  labor  as  those  who  were  supposed  to  be  especially 
ftivored." 

BENEVOLENCE  AND  KNOWLEDGE. 

During  these  several  years  the  Presbytery  was  not  only  en- 
gaged in  trying  offenders,  and  warning  against  unsound 
doctrine,  but  also  was  seeking  courageously  to  help  the  churches 
and  people  up  to  higher  ground  in  the  way  of  actual  progress. 

The  subject  of  benevolence  comes  under  notice.  It  was  felt 
to  be  desirable  to  bring  the  churches  up  to  the  idea  of  intelli- 
gent, systematic,  and  harmonious  efforts  to  promote  the  in- 
terests of  the  several  benevolent  societies  which  were  recognized 
and  aided  by  the  Presbytery. 

It  was  also  thought  to  be  greatly  important  to  diffuse  relig- 
ious knowledge.  This  they  would  do  by  supplying  the  desti- 
tute with  the  Bible;  and  they  would  introduce  for  the  help  of 
families,  congregations,  and  Sabbath-schools,  libraries  of  stand- 
ard religious  books.  They  did  not  run  after  light  works  of 
fiction,  but  sought  for  such  works  as  would  instruct  in  the 
great  doctrines  of  divine  truth.  They  wished  to  promote  in 
any  way  they  could  the  disposition  of  the  people  to  read,  not 
only  the  Bible,  but  good,  wholesome,  solid  religious  literature. 

They  always,  in  their  acts  and  deliverances,  had  an  eye  to 
the  diffusion  of  knowledge.  A  properly  religiously  educated 
people  they  said,  would  be  likely  before  all  others,  to  make  sub- 
stantial and  exemplary  Christians  and  citizens.  And  for  this 
purpose  nothing  is  better  than  good  books. 

Along  with  this  was  the  desire  to  encourage  and  aid  the 
feeble  churches  in  sustaining  pastors.     This  no  Presbytery  can 


OBERLIN  PERFECTIONISM.  129 

afford  to  lose  sight  of.  Feeble  churches  must  be  expected  to 
help  themselves,  to  do  their  duty  in  the  matter  of  securing  and 
paying  for  the  means  of  grace.  The  grace  itself  no  man  can 
pay  for,  nor  is  expected  to.  It  is  forever  free.  But  the  means 
the  people  must  seek  to  secure.  Yet  without  help  such  churches 
often  become  discouraged  ;  they  feel  the  want  of  sympathy,  and 
sometimes  they  are  left  to  pine  away  and  die,  when  help  at 
a  proper  time  would  have  nursed  them  into  a  self-supporting 
life.  These  ministers  and  elders  said  :  "  We  will  encourage  and 
aid  such  churches  in  securing  the  ministry  of  the  Word,"  and 
they  said  they  would  encourage  the  stronger  churches  to  raise 
funds  for  the  American  Home  Missionary  Society,  and  for  the 
benevolent  organizations  of  the  Church.  Of  course  they  would 
not  discourage  the  weaker  ones  from  contributing  also. 

An  appropriate  committee  was  appointed  to  take  all  these 
desires  into  consideration,  and  to  devise  such  means,  and 
measures  as  would  most  likely  secure  these  objects.  They 
were  authorized  to  establish,  if  possible,  a  depository  of  Bibles 
and  standard  religious  books,  and  to  employ  an  agent  to  pre- 
sent the  objects  aimed  at  to  the  churches  and  individuals. 

In  addition  to  all  this,  about  this  time — 1840-1841 — a  very 
strong  and  valuble  paper  is  adopted  by  the  body  on  the  subject 
of  Temperance,  and  another  on  the  Sabbath,  both  of  which 
papers  will  be  found  further  on  in  this  volume,  as  well  as  a 
decision  upon  the  subject  of  Baptism. 


CHAPTER  Vr. 

FROM  1842  TO  1844. 

Notwithstanding  the  trying  circumstances  recorded  in  the 
foregoing  chapter,  the  work  of  the  ministers  and  churches  pro- 
gressed. They  mainly  held  together,  and  the  body  pursued  its 
way  as  a  New  School  Presbytery  under  the  Plan  of  Union. 

A  DISSATISFIED  NEW  MEMBER. 

We  have  said  that  occasionally  a  new  man,  either  a  Congre- 
gationalist  or  a  Presbyterian,  would  manifest  dissatisfaction 
with  the  government  of  this  body  and  would  long  for  other 
realms. 

It  was  in  the  year  1843  that  one  of  tliese  men,  a  Presbyte- 
rian this  time,  with  the  ism  in  his  very  blood,  came  from  a 
region  where  the  Plan  of  Union  did  not  exist,  and,  perplexed 
at  finding  a  Constitution  for  the  Presbytery  distinct  from  the 
one  in  the  "  Assembly's  Confession  of  Faith,"  and  not  a  little 
dissatisfied  with  the  fact,  he  raised  the  following  question  :  "  Is 
the  Constitution  of  the  General  Assembly  of  the  Presbyterian 
Church  in  force  in  this  Presbytery  any  further  than  it  coincides 
with  the  Constitution  and  rules  of  this  body?  If  so,  what 
parts  of  the  Presbyterian  Book  of  Doctrine,  Government,  and 
Discipline  are  in  force,  and  what  are  not?  " 

This  question  seems  to  have  been  surcharged  with  motive. 
It  meant,  doubtless,  more  than  was  on  the  surface  of  the  words. 
It  could  not  well  be  ignored,  as  no  doubt  the  spirit  of  the  inquirer 
was  good ;  and  so,  to  satisfy  the  brother,  it  was  referred  to  a 
committee,  of  which  Rev.  E.  Judson  was  the  chairman.  They 
were  to  report  at  the  next  stated  meeting.  They  did  so,  and 
their  view  of  the  difficulty  was  adopted  by  the  Presbytery,  as 

130 


A    DISSATISFIED  NEW  3IEMBER.  131 

follows :  "  The  Presbytery  of  Huron  was  organized  originally 
in  accordance  with  the  Plan  of  Union,  and  possesses  a  mixed 
character,  partly  Presbyterian  and  partly  Congregational.  Its 
Constitution  was  adopted  with  reference  to  the  mixed  charac- 
ter of  the  body.  This  Constitution  was  submitted  to  the  Synod 
of  Pittsburgh,  as  a  superior  judicatory,  and  approved  by  them. 
It  hence  became  a  law,  and,  so  far  as  any  of  its  precepts  con- 
travene the  law  of  the  Synod,  or  of  the  General  Assembly 
with  which  that  Synod  was  connected,  they  had  become  supe- 
rior to  that  law,  their  approval  by  the  Synod  amounting,  to  the 
Presbytery,  virtually  to  a  repeal  of  such  rules  as  contravene  our 
Constitution." 

If  the  minister  who  raised  the  question  was,  as  we  have  sup- 
posed, an  uncompromising  Presbyterian,  holding  the  laws  of 
the  General  Assembly  as  binding  before  all  other  rules,  he 
would  not  be  greatly  comforted  as  a  member  of  Presbytery 
with  this  answer.  Yet  he  could  not  but  regard  it  as  a  plain 
answer.  It  simply  stated  the  facts  as  they  had  been  in  exist- 
ence since  the  organization  of  the  body  and  the  approval  of 
its  Constitution  by  the  Synod  of  Pittsburgh.  The  Presbytery 
was  a  compromise.  It  compromised  the  Constitution  of  the 
Presbyterian  Church  with  Congregationalism.  That  was  sim- 
ply what  the  Plan  of  Union  was — a  compromise.  The  Sjmod 
endorsed  the  act.  It  could  not  then  do  otherwise.  The  Gen- 
eral Assembly,  itself,  had  prepared  the  way  in  its  promulgation 
of  the  Plan.  The  Presbytery  wanted  to  be  Presbyterian.  It 
was  so  mainly.  It  did  not  lose  sight  of  the  General  Assembly, 
of  the  Westminster  Confession  of  Faith,  or  of  the  Book  of 
Discipline.  But  it  did  regard  the  terms  of  the  Plan  of  Union 
as  so  binding,  and  their  own  relations  and  environments  as  so 
peculiar,  that  where  there  might  seem  to  be  any  conflict  or  dif- 
ference between  the  strictly  Presbyterian  rules  and  those  re- 
quired by  the  Plan  of  Union,  the  Presbyterian  rules  had  to 
give  way.     They  simply  felt  that  they  could  not  help  that. 

It  was  only  when  a  new  member  looked  at  all  the  facts,  and 
duly  considered  the  mixed  state  of  things,  that  he  could  under- 


182  HISTORY  OF  HURON  PRESBYTERY. 

stand  the  Constitution  for  the  cliurclies  and  the  Constitution 
for  the  Presbytery,  and  know  where  he  was  standing  and  what 
was  to  be  expected  of  him,  that  is,  especially,  if  he  was  a  Presby- 
terian. Yet  in  all  these  years  it  is  interesting  to  notice  how 
ministers  were  occasionally  dropping  off  from  Presbytery  to 
the  Association,  and  how,  once  in  a  while,  a  church  would 
go  also. 

A  natural  process  was  bringing  about  a  change.  Congrega- 
tionalists  were  finding  their  own  place,  and  the  Presbytery  of 
Huron  was  finding  less  and  less  trouble  with  the  Plan  of  Union, 
and  was  becoming  more  strictly  Presbyterian. 


UNSATISFACTORY  CONSTITUTIONS. 

Occasionally,  in  the  history  of  this  body,  we  have  found 
cases  of  newly  organized  churches  seeking  to  be  under  the  care 
of  the  Presbytery  which  had  adopted  very  unsatisfactor}'^  Con- 
stitutions. Such  churches  had  invariably  to  be  visited  by  a 
committee  and  their  Constitution  corrected  before  their  names 
could  be  enrolled.  We  have  already  named  several  of  such 
cases. 

In  April,  1843,  the  Church  of  Margaretta  made  application 
for  reception  ;  but  the  above-named  difficulty  was  in  the  way 
of  a  favorable  reply.  The  church  was  requested  to  adopt  the 
formula  prepared  by  the  Presbytery.  For  some  reason  there 
was  delay  in  this,  and  the  enrollment  did  not  take  place  for 
some  time  afterward — September,  1845. 


CHANGES  IN  1842. 

During  this  year  the  church  of  Freedom  was  added  to  the 
roll  of  churches,  having  been  organized  during  the  latter  part 
of  1841  or  in  the  early  part  of  1842.  It  had  twelve  members, 
and  was  reported  to  Presbytery  April  13th,  when  it  was  received 
under  care  of  the  body. 


HURON  DIVIDED;     ELYBIA    FORMED.  133 

At  the  same  time  the  church  of  Pennfield  withdrew.  June 
1st  the  name  of  Rev.  Ebenezer  Sperry  was  added  from  the 
SufReld  South  Association,  Mass. 

June  28th  the  Rev.  J.  P.  Cowles  was  received  from  the  Wor- 
cester Association,  Mass. 

The  following  ministers  were  dismissed  :  Rev.  E.  Scott,  April 
13th,  to  the  Presbytery  of  Grand  River ;  Rev.  Joseph  Edwards 
April  13th,  to  the  Western  Reserve  Association ;  Rev.  S.  Ste- 
vens, May  31st,  to  the  Presbytery  of  Cleveland;  the  Rev.  J. 
H.  Francis,  September  14th,  to  the  Hartford  South  Association. 


DEATHS. 

Rev.  David  Higgins  died  on  the  19th  of  June,  and  the  Rev. 
Lyman  Barrett  on  the  13th  of  September. 


INSTALLATIONS  AND  DISSOLUTIONS. 

Rev.  J.  B.  Parline  was  installed  pastor  of  the  Monroeville 
Church,  June  1st.  Rev.  E.  Conger  was  installed  pastor  of  Ply- 
mouth Church,  May  31st.  R.ev.  E.  Sperry  pastor  of  the  Peru 
Church,  June  28th.  The  pastoral  relation  between  Rev.  B.  B. 
Judson  and  the  church  of  Ruggles  was  dissolved  on  the  31st 
of  May. 

HURON  DIVIDED ;  ELYRIA  FORMED. 

When  the    Presbyteries  of   Lorain  and  Maumee  had  been  ' 
added  to  Huron  the  whole  length  of  this  body  was  not  less  than 
120  miles — too  large  for  reasonable  convenience.     So,  early  as 
1842,  a  desire  was  therefore  expressed,  and  carried  to  the  Synod, 
to  divide  it  again. 

The  Synod,  accordingly,  at  its  meeting  on  September  25th 
of  the  above  year,  did  erect  a  new  Presbytery,  taking  from 
Huron  the  county  of  Lorain,  together  with  the  eastern  range 


134  HISTORY  OF  HURON  PRESBYTERY. 

of  townships  of  Erie  and  Huron  counties,  and  tliey  gave  the 
new  body  the  name  of 


THE  PRESBYTERY  OF  ELYRIA. 

By  this  act  Huron  Presbytery  was  decreased  by  tliirteen  minis- 
ters, namely :  X.  Betts,  J.  Monteith,  N.  W.  St.  John,  E.  Barber, 
A.  H.  Betts,  F.  H.  Brown,  E.  J.  Leavenworth,  D.  W.  Lathrop, 
J.  Cochran,  James  Ellis,  O.  Eastman,  A.  R.  Clarke,  and  J.  P. 
Cowles.  These  all  went  to  the  Presbytery  of  Elyria,  and  with 
them  went  also  ten  churches,  namely :  Columbia,  Ridgeville, 
Rochester,  Charleston,  Amherst,  Elyria,  Brownhelm,  Welling- 
ton, Amherstville,  and  West  Millgrove.  This  change  left  the 
Presbytery  of  Huron  with  seventeen  ministers  and  twenty-nine 
churches. 

The  church  of  Grafton  had  been  dismissed  to  the  care  of  the 
Medina  Presbytery,  Pennfield  had  retired,  and  Hartford  had 
been  dissolved. 

REV.  HUBBARD  LAURENCE. 

At  the  meeting  of  the  body,  April  11,  1843,  the  roll  was 
accordingly  corrected,  and  almost  the  first  act  done  thereafter 
was  to  receive  Mr.  Hubbard  Laurence,  a  licentiate  of  the  Pres- 
bytery of  Dayton.  Mr.  Laurence  is  the  only  name  now  among 
us  who  can  date  his  connection  with  the  Presbytery  so  far  back. 
When  the  Presbytery  of  Maumee  was  erected  he  fell  to  that 
body,  but  afterward  again  found  his  place  in  Huron,  where, 
though  not  now  a  member,  he  is  frequently  yet  seen,  support- 
ing a  green  old  age,  and  showing  that  he  has  still  an  interest 
in  the  Lord's  cause  and  kingdom. 

On  the  16th  of  May  Rev.  C.  L.  Watson  was  received  from 
the  Presbytery  of  Galena,  who  also  went  out  at  the  erection 
of  Maumee. 

April  11th  Rev.  H.  Smith  had  been  received  from  the 
Eastern  Association  of  Michigan. 


PRESBYTERY   OF  MAUMEE  ERECTED.  135 

On  the  4th  of  January,  1843,  the  church  of  Sherman  was 
organized,  and  that  of  Montgomery  near  the  same  time.  The 
names  of  both  were  enrolled  at  the  April  meeting. 


PRESBYTERY  OF  MAUMEE  ERECTED. 

It  was  felt  that  the  Presbytery  of  Huron  was  still  too  large, 
and  at  the  first  meeting  in  1843  a  proposition  was  made  to  ask 
the  Synod  again  to  divide  the  body. 

On  the  13th  of  September  a  committee  previously  appointed 
reported  an  overture,  which  was  adopted,  asking  the  Synod  to 
divide  the  Presbytery  of  Huron  so  as  to  form  a  new  Presbytery, 
including  in  it  all  the  ministers  and  churches  belonging  to 
Huron  west  of  the  west  line  of  Seneca  and  Sandusky  counties, 
to  be  called  the  Presbytery  of  Maumee. 

The  Synod  at  its  next  meeting,  in  Cleveland,  on  the  22d  day 
of  September,  in  accordance  with  this  petition,  did  authorize 
and  direct  the  erection  of  the  Presbytery  of  Maumee. 

After  this  change  the  Presbytery  of  Huron  was  reduced 
to  its  present  boundaries  almost.  It  then  embraced  the 
counties  of  Huron  and  Erie,  except  the  eastern  range  of  town- 
ships in  these  two  counties,  and  the  counties  of  Ottawa, 
Sandusky,  and  Seneca.  This  has  been  substantially  its  dimen- 
sions ever  since.  The  only  change  since  made  was  in  1866, 
when,  at  the  dissolution  of  the  Presbytery  of  Elj^ria,  the  eastern 
range  of  townships  in  Erie  and  Huron  Counties  were  again 
added.  This  was  done,  however,  without  adding  anything  to 
the  number  of  churches,  except  those  of  Birmingham,  Florence, 
Ruggles,  and  Vermillion ;  and  these  have  since  all,  with 
several  others,  gone  to  the  Association,  as  Congregationalism 
has  possessed  the  field  in  those  townships.  Several  churches 
were  added  in  1870,  but  they  were  all  churches  within  the 
county  of  Seneca,  already  in  the  territory  of  the  Presbytery. 

The  extent  of  the  Presbytery  is  now  about  fifty  miles  east 
and  west,  by  about  twenty-five  or  thirty  miles  north  and 
south. 


136  HISTORY  OF  HURON  PRESBYTERY. 

RESULTS  IN  MINISTERS  AND  CHURCHES. 

With  the  Presbytery  of  Maumee,  at  its  organization,  there 
went  from  Huron  five  ministers,  namely,  Joseph  Badger,  B. 
Woodbury,  C.  L.  Watson,  Isaac  Van  Tassel,  E.  R.  Tucker,  and 
with  these  was  one  licentiate,  Hubbard  Laurence. 

Rev.  Joseph  Badger  was  one  of  the  first  two  ministers  who 
preached  in  the  Western  Reserve,  one  of  the  first  who  ever 
preached  in  the  territory  of  Huron  Presbytery,  and  he  was  one 
of  the  first  who  ever  preached  in  the  vicinity  of  Fremont.  His 
name  has  some  connection  with  a  number  of  churches  and  a 
number  of  presbyteries. 

To  Maumee  there  were  also  set  off  the  following  seven 
churches,  namely,  Maumee,  Defiance,  Plain,  Toledo,  Waterville, 
Montgomery,  and  Freedom. 

There  were  then  left  to  Huron,  April  9,  1844,  after  the 
reception  on  that  day  of  Rev.  Marcus  Palmer,  fifteen  ministers, 
namely,  T.  Kennan,  E.  Conger,  E.  P.  Sperry,  S.  W.  Barrett, 
E.  Judson,  F.  Fitch,  A.  Newton,  J.  B.  Parlin,  H.  Smith,  J.  C. 
Sherwin,  S.  Dunton,  J.  A.  Hart,  L.  H.  Loss,  B.  B.  Judson,  and 
Marcus  Palmer. 

There  were,  at  the  same  date,  eighteen  churches,  namely, 
Plymouth,  Greenfield,  Milan,  Huron,  Berlin,  Attica,  Lower 
Sandusky,  Lyme,  Bloom,  Norwalk,  Sandusky,  Fitchville,  Eden, 
Bronson,  Monroeville,  Peru,  Ripley,  and  Sherman. 

Besides  these  were  five  other  churches,  whose  relation  to  the 
Presbytery  at  that  time  seems  to  have  been  somewhat  uncertain. 
These  were  Tiffin,  Maxville,  Margaretta,  Green  Creek,  and 
Scott. 

Of  these  Margaretta  (Castalia)  was  received  under  care  of  the 
Presbytery,  February  9,  1845. 

Green  Creek,  Maxville,  and  Scott  drop  out;  and  Tiffin  again, 
in  April,  1845,  returns — to  be  again  in  a  few  years  lost  to  this 
Presbytery. 


CHAPTER  VII. 
FROM   1844  TO  1860. 

The  Presbytery,  now  settled  to  the  five  counties  of  Huron, 
Erie,  Ottawa,  Sandusky,  and  Seneca,  minus  the  eastern  range 
of  townships  in  Huron  and  Erie  counties,  begins  its  new  era 
with  fifteen  ministers,  eighteen  churches,  and  fourteen  hundred 
and  twenty-six  communicants. 

On  the  10th  of  April,  1844,  Mr.  H.  S.  Taylor,  a  licentiate  of 
the  Presbytery  of  Portage,  was  duly  received,  and,  after  the 
usual  examinations  and  trial  exercises,  he  was,  on  the  day 
following,  ordained  as  an  evangelist  to  go  as  a  missionary  to 
India. 

On  the  same  10th  of  April  Rev.  Marcus  Palmer  was  received 
into  the  body.  He  came  satisfactorily,  though  somewhat 
irregularly.  He  had  no  letter  from  the  body  to  which  he  had 
belonged,  that  body  having  ceased  to  exist.  It  was  known  as 
the  Cherokee  Association.  Mr.  Palmer  had  been  a  missionary 
among  the  Indians.  In  the  absence  of  the  usual  letter  he  gave 
satisfactory  testimonials  of  his  ordination  and  ministerial  char- 
acter, and  he  assented  to  the  questions  proposed  to  candidates  for 
ordination,  and  was  accordingly  received. 

At  the  same  time  Rev.  Merrit  Harmon  was  received  from 
the  Presbytery  of  Ontario. 

On  the  17th  of  April  Mr.  Gould  C.  Judson,  licentiate,  was 
received  from  the  New  London  Association,  and  on  the  11th 
of  September  his  license  was  renewed. 

This  renewal  became  necessary  by  virtue  of  a  resolution, 
which  was  made  part  of  the  Constitution  of  the  body,  adopted 
in  the  April  preceding  :  "  That  every  license  hereafter  granted 
to  any  individual  to  preach  the  Gospel  shall  expire  by  its  own 

137 


138  HISTORY  OF  HURON  PRESBYTERY. 

limitation  within  two  years  from  its  date,  to  be  renewed  or  not 
at  the  discretion  of  the  Presbytery,  the  same  rule  in  substance 
to  apple  to  licentiates  coming  from  other  ecclesiastical  bodies." 

On  the  lltli  of  April,  1844,  the  pastoral  relation  existing 
between  Rev.  J.  A.  Hart  and  the  church  of  Sandusky  was  dis- 
solved, and  Mr.  Hart  was  dismissed  to  the  Presbytery  of 
Medina. 

On  the  8th  of  May  the  relation  between  Rev.  F.  Fitch  and 
the  church  of  Lower  Sandusky  was  dissolved. 

On  the  10th  of  September  Rev.  L.  Loss  was  dismissed  to 
the  Beloit  District  Association. 


1845. 

An  unusual  number  of  new  members  were  received  during 
the  year  1845. 

On  the  8th  of  April  Rev.  H.  C.  Dubois,  who  had  been  per- 
mitted the  year  previous  to  labor  among  the  churches,  was 
received  from  the  Presbytery  of  Angelica. 

On  the  10th  of  September  five  others  were  received,  namely, 
Rev.  Moses  H.  Wilder,  from  the  Presbytery  of  Medina ;  Rev. 
.John  W.  Whipple,  from  the  Presbytery  of  Marion ;  Rev.  .James 
Campbell,  from  the  Presbytery  of  New  Lisbon ;  Rev.  Erastus 
Cole,  from  the  Presbytery  of  Medina ;  and  Rev.  Leverett  Hull, 
from  the  Presbytery  of  Angelica.  There  were,  however,  four 
dismissals  to  other  bodies. 

On  the  8th  of  April  Rev.  Marcus  Palmer,  to  the  Presbytery 
of  Elyria  ;  September  9th  Rev.  S.  Dunton,  to  the  Presbytery  of 
Troy ;  September  20th  Rev.  F.  Fitch,  to  the  Presbytery  of 
Cleveland  ;  October  14th  Rev.  S.  W.  Barrett,  to  the  Presbytery 
of  Cleveland.  Mr.  Barrett  was  at  the  same  time  released  from 
the  pastorate  of  the  church  of  Lyme. 

On  the  19th  of  September  Licentiate  G.  C.  Gould  was  dis- 
missed to  the  Presbytery  of  Medina. 


REV.    B.    B.    JUDSON  DIES— 1846.  139 

REV.  B.  B.  JUDSON  DIES. 

This  brother  had  reported  himself  as  having  been  for  four 
years  unable  to  work,  and  with  little  hope  of  ever  being  able, 
on  account  of  ill-health,  again  to  engage  in  the  service  of  the 
ministry.  He  asked  to  be  retired  and  that  his  name  be  dropped 
from  the  roll.  This  request  raised  the  question  of  the  right  to 
"  demit  the  ministry." 

A  committee,  consisting  of  Messrs.  Newton,  Coe,  and  Brooks, 
was  appointed  to  consider  some  appropriate  action.  They  re- 
ported, in  due  time,  "  that  the  subject  presented  a  new  question, 
involving  important  principles  of  Presbyterian  order,  and  one 
in  which  it  was  desirable  that  there  should  be  harmony  of 
views  among  our  several  Presbyteries."  The  subject  was,  there- 
fore, referred  to  Synod  for  consideration  and  decision.  Mr. 
Judson,  however,  in  a  short  time  was  removed  by  death,  and 
the  subject  ceased  to  have  any  personal  importance.  The  death 
of  Mr.  Judson  occurred  in  the  early  part  of  the  year  1846.  His 
brethren  testified  to  his  worth  as  a  member  of  Presbytery,  to 
his  influential  life,  and  his  peaceful  death,  as  sustained  by  the 
grace  of  God. 

1846. 

Rev.  A.  K.  Barr  was  received  from  the  Presbytery  of  Rich- 
land April  4th. 

Mr.  Sanford  R.  Bissell  was,  on  the  29th  of  July,  received  as 
a  candidate  for  the  Gospel  ministry  from  the  Presbytery  of 
Cincinnati,  and  was  licensed  to  preach  upon  the  same  day. 

Mr,  H.  N.  Bissell,  licentiate,  was  received  from  the  Presby- 
tery of  Portage  on  the  14th  of  April,  and  on  the  first  day  of 
December  he  was  ordained  and  installed  pastor  of  the  church 
of  Lyme. 

Rev.  Erastus  Cole  was  installed  pastor  of  the  church  of 
Huron  May  19th. 

The  pastoral  relation  between  Rev.  E.  P.  Sperry  and  the 
church  of  Peru  was  dissolved  April  14th. 


140  HISTORY  OF  HURON  PRESBYTERY. 

May  19th  Mr.  George  Bigbee,  who  had  gone  into  other 
business,  returned  his  license  to  preach  and  ceased  to  have  any 
relation  to  the  Presbytery. 

December  1st  Rev.  James  Campbell  was  dismissed  to  the 
Presbytery  of  Marion. 

1847. 
In  this  year  there  occurred  the  following  dismissals: — 
Rev.  M.  H.  Wilder  went  to  the  Suffolk  South  Association, 
Mass.,  January  26th. 

Rev.  J.  N.  Whipple  to  the  Presbytery  of  Marion,  April  14th, 
and  on  the  20th  of  October  Rev.  J.  Crawford,  who  had  passed 
through  a  judicial  trial  by  the  Presbytery,  and  who  had  been 
censured  and  admonished,  was  now  a  second  time  charged  with 
the  neglect  of  both  public  and  family  worship  and  with 
violating  the  Sabbath.  In  this  state  of  affairs  he  asked  per- 
mission to  resign  his  ministerial  office  and  obtained  the 
permission,  and  his  name  was  dropped  from  the  roll. 

SYNODIC AL  EXCEPTIONS  IN  MR.  CRAWFORD'S  CASE. 

To  the  above  action,  in  quietly  permitting  Rev.  J.  Crawford 
to  retire,  exception  was  taken  by  the  Synod,  "  as  discharging  a 
minister  from  his  ordination  vows  without  regular  process, 
while  gross  delinquencies  were  admitted." 

It  was  a  just  exception.  It  was  in  violation  of  the  require- 
ments of  the  Book  of  Discipline  to  release  Mr.  Crawford  without 
trial,  and  it  was  against  the  judgment  of  the  Presbytery  as 
expressed  at  other  times ;  and  yet  it  was  a  case  which  was  not 
so  easy  of  solution.  Mr.  Crawford  admitted  the  facts  in  each 
charge,  but  plead  justification,  his  ill  health  being  his  chief 
ground  of  self-exculpation.  What  was  the  Presbytery  to  do? 
They  were  not  sure  the  thing  to  do  was  to  try  him  on  his  own 
confession  and  then  silence  him.  They  were  not  content  that 
things  in  his  case  should  go  on  as  they  had  been  going  for 
several  years,  while  he  was  in  reality  already  outside  of  the 
ministry. 


PRESBYTEBIAL   CHANGES  IN  J84S.  141 

The  shortest  way,  and  surely  the  easiest,  was  to  let  him  go, 
as  he  wished,  and  this  was  what  they  did.  The  apparent 
probabilities  are  that  it  would  have  been  legitimate,  and  not 
very  uncharitable,  to  have  taken  the  due  process  of  discipline 
and  then  to  have  retired  Mr.  Crawford  from  the  ministry. 
There  could  have  been  no  Synodical  exception  to  that. 


RESUME. 

April  14,  1847,  Rev.  J.  B.  Parlin  had  the  relation  between 
himself  and  the  church  of  Monroeville  dissolved.  January 
26th  Rev.  Jonathan  Cochran  was  received  from  the  Presbytery 
of  Elyria.  April  14th  Rev.  F.  Putnam  was  received  from  the 
Presbytery  of  Mansfield.  Same  day  Rev.  C.  M.  Ransom  was 
received  from  the  same  body,  and  also  Mr.  J.  M.  Hays,  a 
licentiate,  was  received  from  the  Presbytery  of  Portage.  He 
was  ordained  and  installed  at  Peru  October  5th.  Mr.  Flavel 
S.  White,  a  licentiate,  was  received  from  the  Presbytery  of 
Portage  September  7th,  and  on  the  20th  of  October  he  was 
ordained,  and  installed  at  Fremont.  October  5th  Rev.  L.  A. 
Sawyer  was  received  from  the  Presbytery  of  Franklin. 


PRESBYTERIAL  CHANGES  IN  1848. 

Changes  were  made  in  this  year  by  the  following  receptions, 
dismissals,  and  deaths : — 

February  15th  Rev.  N.  W.  Fisher  was  received  from  the 
Presbytery  of  Geneva. 

April  4th  Rev.  A.  D.  Chapman  from  the  Presbytery  of 
Franklin. 

Rev.  N.  W.  Fisher  was,  on  the  day  of  his  reception,  installed 
pastor  of  the  Congregational  church  of  Sandusky. 

On  the  29th  of  June  Rev.  C.  N.  Ransom  was  installed  at 
Republic. 

On  the  4th  of  April  the  pastoral  relation  between  Rev.  E. 
Conger  and  the  church  of  Plymouth  was  dissolved. 


142  HISTORY  OF  HURON  PRESBYTERY. 

On  the  15tli  of  February  Ilev.  E.  P.  Sperry  was  dismissed  to 
the  Presbytery  of  Elyria. 


REV.  EVERTON  JUDSON  DIES— MEMORIAL. 

On  the  20th  of  August,  1848,  Rev.  Everton  Judson  passed 
by  death  from  the  Church  militant  to  the  Church  triumphant. 
In  a  brief  memorial  prepared  by  Messrs.  Newton  and  Conger, 
the  Presbytery,  "  while  bowing  in  profound  submission  to  that 
Divine  Providence  whose  ways  are  past  finding  out,  most 
deeply  deplore  the  event  which  had  removed  from  them  a 
warm-hearted  friend,  a  judicious  counselor,  an  able  advocate 
of  the  truth,  and  a  faithful  fellow-laborer  in  the  work  of  the 
ministry." 

Mr.  Judson  was  one  of  the  interesting  and  useful  men  of  the 
Presbytery.  He  was  characterized  hy  great  earnestness  in 
whatever  he  undertook,  and  by  a  rich,  beautiful, land  child-like 
faith  in  his  blessed  Redeemer. 

He  had  been  a  member  of  the  Presbytery  for  nineteen  years, 
and  had  been  one  of  the  most  active  and  influential  men  in 
the  body.  He  was  greatly  helpful  in  educational  work,  and 
was  identified  in  each  of  the  special  efforts  of  the  Presbytery 
in  this  direction.  He  was  also  one  of  the  most  efficient  of 
pastors,  and  was  a  man  of  more  than  ordinary  power  in  revival 
work.  His  own  church,  at  Milan,  passed  through  a  succession 
of  interesting  and  deep  works  of  grace  during  his  pastorate. 
And  as  the  Presbj^terial  Academy  w^as  in  Milan,  and  under  the 
special  oversight  of  Mr.  Judson,  there  is  no  doubt  that  many 
of  the  students  were  there  blessed  of  God  and  fitted  to  enter 
upon  lives  of  great  usefulness  as  the  result.  Four  years  after  his 
death,  in  1852,  a  biography,  containing  over  two  hundred  pages, 
was  published  by  E.  P.  Barrows,  giving  a  full  history  of  the 
man  and  his  work. 

In  1876  his  warm  personal  friend.  Rev.  A.  Newton,  D.D., 
gave  to  the  Presbytery  a  briefer  sketch,  wdiich  we  deem  worthy 


PRESBYTERIAL    CHANGES  IN  184S.  143 

of  being  a  part  of  this  history.  We  therefore  transcribe  it 
without  alteration.     He  says : — 

"  Intimately  associated  in  the  history  of  this  Presbytery  with 
the  name  of  E.  Conger  is  that  of  Everton  Judson.  He  was 
born  in  Woodbury,  Connecticut,  December  8,  1799.  Trained 
by  pious  parents,  he  became  a  member  of  the  Church  at  the 
age  of  twenty -one  years.  Wishing  to  qualify  himself  for  more 
extensive  usefulness,  he  resolved  on  obtaining  an  education. 
Endowed  with  great  activity  and  energy  of  mind,  he  fitted  him- 
self for  the  Sophomore  Class  in  Yale  College  in  a  year  and  a 
half  He  maintained  a  very  respectable  standing  as  a  scholar, 
and  graduated  in  the  largest  class  that  had  then  ever  been  in 
the  College,  in  the  year  1826. 

"  He  studied  theology  at  New  Haven  the  two  following  years, 
and  was  licensed  to  preach  the  Gospel.  A  part  of  the  year 
1829  he  spent  in  the  Southern  part  of  this  State  in  the  service 
of  the  American  Sunday  School  Union,  forming  Sunday  schools 
and  furnishing  them  with  libraries.  It  was  during  this  excur- 
sion that  he  formed  an  extensive  acquaintance  with  the  minis- 
ters and  leading  members  of  churches  in  the  State,  gained  a 
knowledge  of  the  Western  habits  and  modes  of  life,  and  learned 
to  preach  extempore — a  practice  which  he  found  of  very  great 
service  in  the  subsequent  part  of  his  ministry. 

"  He  commenced  his  labors  in  Milan  on  the  1st  of  No- 
vember, 1829.  Entertaining  the  idea,  which  was  beginning  to 
be  somewhat  prevalent  among  the  churches  and  ministers  in 
the  West,  that  the  pastoral  relation  was  of  little  importance,  he 
continued  as  a  stated  supply  for  several  years.  His  good  sense 
and  sound  judgment,  however,  led  him  to  change  his  opinion, 
and  at  the  unanimous  request  of  his  people  he  was  installed  as 
their  pastor  in  May,  1837. 

"  He  was  elected  a  Trustee  of  Western  Reserve  College  in  1842, 
and  his  efficient  services  in  that  relation  were  of  great  value  to 
the  institution.  Perhaps  nowhere  beyond  the  bounds  of  his 
congregation  in  Milan  was  his  loss  more  deeply  felt  or  more 
sincerely  deplored. 


144  HISTORY  OF  HURON  PRESBYTERY. 

"  During  the  nineteen  years  of  his  ministry  he  was  instant,  in 
season  and  out  of  season,  devoting  all  his  physical,  intellectual, 
and  moral  energies  to  the  great  work  of  his  life.  The  results 
of  this  faithful  labor  he  was,  in  great  measure,  permitted  to  see. 
Under  his  judicious  management  and  well-directed  efforts 
the  church  went  on,  increasing  in  numbers  and  strength  from 
year  to  year,  until  the  membership  of  thirty,  at  the  beginning 
of  his  ministry,  became  more  than  two  hundred.  Repeatedly 
had  it  enjoyed  refreshing  influence  from  on  high,  and  scarcely 
had  a  communion  passed  without  additions  to  its  members. 

"  The  mental  endowments  of  Mr.  Judson  were  of  a  high 
order.  His  hurried  preparation  for  college,  which  he  was 
often  heard  to  lament,  disqualified  him,  in  a  measure,  for  those 
critical  investigations  which  make  the  finished  scholar.  But 
he  had  a  comprehension,  a  quickness  and  force  of  intellect, 
which  enabled  him  readily  to  seize  the  most  intricate  subject 
and  reduce  it  to  its  elements.  If  there  was  one  mental  trait  by 
which  he  was  distinguished  above  most  men,  it  was  the  power 
of  seeing  almost  at  a  glance  the  relations  and  bearings  of  any 
question  that  was  under  discussion,  or  any  measure  that  was 
proposed  for  adoption. 

"  The  rapidity  of  his  judgment  was  like  intuition.  His 
power,  too,  of  combination  was  almost  equally  rapid.  He  was 
almost  never  in  doubt  how  to  act  in  an  emergency,  but  would 
form  a  plan,  suggest  a  method  of  procedure,  on  the  spur  of  the 
occasion,  which  would  generally  prove  as  well  adjusted  in  all 
parts  and  as  well  adapted  to  accomplish  the  object  as  if  it  had 
been  the  study  of  hours,  or  even  of  days.  It  was  these  mental 
acquirements,  combined  with  a  ready  command  of  forcible 
language,  which  gave  him  so  much  influence  in  deliberative 
assemblies.  This,  combined  with  an  open  and  frank  disposi- 
tion, which  knew  no  concealment,  inspired  great  confidence  in 
his  opinions  and  suggestions.  It  was  this  trait,  too,  I  may  re- 
mark, that  gave  him  an  air  of  dogmatism,  and  made  some  who 
did  not  know  him  well  think  him  harsh  and  overbearing. 

"  Good    sense,   sound   judgment,    practical    wisdom,    were 


PRESBYTERIAL   CHANGES  IN  ms.  145 

marked  characteristics  of  Mr.  Judson's  mind.  This  saved 
liim  from  being  carried  about  by  every  wind  of  doctrine. 
With  a  heart  intent,  as  his  was,  on  doing  good,  with  a  sensi- 
bilit}^  so  keenly  alive  to  the  welfare  of  his  fellow-men,  and 
thrown,  as  he  was,  amid  the  exciting  scenes  of  revivals  and 
measures  of  reform  in  education,  morals,  and  religion,  without 
that  good  sense  and  sound  judgment  which  looks  on  all  sides 
of  a  subject,  he  would  early  have  adopted  many  of  those  meas- 
ures and  courses  of  action  which  proved  so  disastrous  in  their 
influence  upon  the  churches  and  the  cause  of  religion. 

"  Indeed,  there  was  a  time  when  he  did  partially  adopt 
the  views  of  some  of  the  reformers  of  that  day.  But  he 
soon  saw  the  gulf  toward  which  they  were  tending,  and  had 
not  only  the  good  sense  to  perceive  his  error,  but  the  magnan- 
imity to  acknowledge  it  and  the  moral  courage  to  change  his 
conduct.  As  a  preacher  Mr.  Judson  had  few  superiors ;  his 
style  was  clear,  concise,  and  direct.  While  his  sermons  did  not 
display  a  critical  acquaintance  with  the  original  languages  of 
the  Bible,  nor  a  fondness  for  metaphysical  disquisition,  they 
were  enriched  in  an  unusual  degree  by  illustrations  drawn 
from  history,  the  natural  sciences,  and  common  life. 

"  Very  few  men  had  more  power  over  an  audience,  and  very 
few  sermons  left  a  deeper  impression  than  did  his. 

"  As  a  pastor  he  was  laborious  and  faithful.  He  kept  an  eye 
on  all  the  members  of  his  flock,  and  was  ever  engaged  in  plans 
and  efforts  for  their  spiritual  welfare. 

"  He  deeply  felt  the  importance  of  an  exemplary  and  holy 
walk  in  those  who  profess  the  religion  of  Jesus  Christ.  Hence, 
he  aimed  not  only  to  bring  converts  into  the  Church,  but  to 
improve  the  religious  character  of  those  who  were  already 
members.  In  the  discharge  of  his  duty  he  was  not  only  faith- 
ful, but  greatly  successful.  Under  his  ministrations,  blessed  of 
God,  many  were  added  to  the  Church,  and  a  vast  amount  of 
good  done  in  various  ways  which  the  Omnipotent  Mind  only 
can  estimate. 

"  It  was  while  he  was  engaged  in  extraordinary  efforts  in 

10 


146  HISTORY  OF  Hl'IiOX  PRESBYTERY. 

preaching  to  his  people  on  the  evidences  of  lievelation,  in  the 
winter  of  1847,  that  he  was  attacked  with  an  apoplectic  fit  in 
the  pulpit,  from  the  effects  of  which  he  never  recovered. 

"  His  last  hours  were  in  beautiful  harmony  with  the  even 
tenor  of  his  life.  His  was  a  religion  of  deep-seated  principles, 
resembling  the  equable  flow  of  a  majestic  river  rather  than  the 
dashing  impetuosity  of  a  mountain  stream.  His  dying  con- 
duct, like  his  living,  bore  the  impress  of  holiness  to  the  Lord — 
a  confidence,  a  child-like  trust  in  his  Heavenly  Father. 

"  His  mind  was  calm  and  peaceful,  resting  wholly  on  the 
Great  Sacrifice  for  acceptance  with  God.  '  With  regard  to  my 
own  feelings,'  he  said  to  me  a  few  days  before  he  died,  '  })er- 
haps  no  human  language  can  better  express  them  than  Top- 
lady's  hymn : — 

'  "Wlien  langour  and  disease  invade 
This  trembling  house  of  claj', 
'Tis  sweet  to  look  boj'ond  my  pain, 
And  long  to  fly  away."  ' 

"  He  added,  '  I  would  except  the  word  long,  and  substitute 
the  word  luait,  for  it  would  seem  presumption  in  one  so  much 
encompassed  with  infirmities  as  I  am  to  long  to  fly  away.' 
*  Tell  the  brethren  of  the  ministers'  meeting  and  of  the  Pres- 
bytery,' said  he,  *  that  I  thank  them  for  the  confidence  they 
have  reposed  in  me.  I  have  loved  to  labor  with  them,  and  to 
be  associated  with  them.  Tell  them  to  be  earnest,  earnest  in  the 
work  of  the  Lord.  Express  to  my  people  my  dying  obligations 
to  them  for  the  long-continued  confidence  and  love  they  have 
manifested  toward  me,  notwithstanding  my  many  infirmities. 
If  I  have  been  in  any  degree  useful,  I  owe  my  usefulness,  in  a 
great  measure,  to  the  manner  in  which  the  church  has  stood 
by  and  sustained  me.  Remember  me  affectionatel}^  to  the 
youth  of  this  congregation,  and  say,  especially  to  the  young 
members  of  the  church,  that  I  honor  them  in  their  constancy 
and  faithfulness  in  God's  service.  Tell  my  congregation  to  meet 
me  at  the  judgment  seat  of  God.     Say  to  all  that  the  great 


W.   B.    COLLEGE  AIDED.  147 

truths  which  I  have  preached  to  them  sustain  me  now,  and  are 
adequate  to  all  my  wants.  I  am  satisfied  that  the  views  I  have 
entertained,  both  in  regard  to  doctrines  and  measures,  are  sub- 
stantially correct,  and  the  errors  I  have  combated  appear  to  be 
magnified  rather  than  diminished.' 

"  On  Sabbath  morning,  August  20th,  1848,  the  tolling  of  the 
funeral  bell  announced  to  the  people  of  Milan  that  Everton 
Judson,  the  faithful  pastor,  the  eloquent  preacher,  the  judi- 
cious counselor,  and  the  warm-hearted  friend  had  passed 
away." 

RESUME— ]  849-50. 

During  the  year  1849  Mr.  C.  W.  Clapp,  a  licentiate,  was 
received  from  the  Presbytery  of  Portage,  and  the  Rev.  Newton 
Barrett  from  the  Presbytery  of  Cleveland,  both  on  the  16th  of 
January. 

On  the  17tli  of  January  Mr.  Barrett  was  installed  pastor  of 
the  church  of  Milan. 

On  the  3d  of  April  Rev.  M.  Harmon  was  dismissed  to  the 
Presbytery  of  Washtena,  Michigan. 

REV.  N.  W.  FISHER  DIES. 

On  the  2d  of  August  this  brother  was  removed  by  death. 
He  had  been  in  the  Presbytery  only  a  few  months  over  a  year. 
He  had  been  received  on  the  15th  of  February,  1848,  and 
installed  pastor  of  the  church  at  Sandusky.  Notice  is  taken 
of  his  death,  and  expressions  made  as  to  his  character,  and  the 
usual  consolatory  resolutions  are  placed  upon  the  records. 

W.  R.  COLLEGE  AIDED. 

This  was  not  an  eventful  year  in  the  Presbytery.  The  gen- 
eral routine  of  Church  work  was  conducted  as  usual.  Aside 
from  this,  the  most  important  work  done  was  the  raising  of 
about  $9000  for  Western  Reserve  College.  This  was  all  given 
by  the  churches  and  people  under  the  care  of  this  body.     It 


148  HISTORY  OF  HURON  PRESBYTERY. 

was  chiefly  the  result  of  the  personal  eftbrts  of  Rev.  A.  New- 
ton. He  canvassed  the  churches,  making  a  special  plea  that 
liberal  things  be  done  for  this  institution,  which  was  their  own 
College,  and  which  they  had  not  aided  largely  in  a  pecuniary 
way  heretofore,  because  their  efforts  had  been  turned  espe- 
cially toward  the  founding  and  support  of  their  own  Pres- 
byterial  Academy  at  Milan. 


CHANGES  IN  1850. 

During  the  year  1850  the  following  changes  were  recorded  : 
April  3d  the  pastoral  relation  existing  between  Rev.  E.  Cole 
and  the  church  at  Huron  was  dissolved,  and  Mr.  Cole  was 
dismissed  to  the  Presbytery  of  Medina. 

On  the  same  day  the  same  relation  existing  between  Rev.  C. 
N.  Ransom  and  the  church  at  Republic  was  dissolved. 

Rev.  L.  A.  Sawyer  was  dismissed  to  the  Presbytery  of  Water- 
town,  and  the  name  of  S.  R.  Bissell,  licentiate,  was  ordered  to 
be  dropped  from  the  roll,  he  having  gone  to  anotlier  body. 

August  21st  Rev.  F.  Putnam  was  dismissed  to  tlie  Presby- 
tery of  Dayton ;  and  Mr.  C.  W.  Clapp,  who  had  been  received 
the  year  before,  as  a  licentiate,  from  the  Presbytery  of  Portage, 
was  ordained  and  installed  pastor  of  the  Monroeville  Church. 

September  3d  Rev.  Hiram  Smith  was  dismissed  to  the  Pres- 
bytery of  Elyria,  and  Rev.  Jonathan  Cochran  to  the  Presbytery 
of  Monroe. 

September  20th  Rev.  Seth  H.  Waldo  was  received  from  the 
Presbytery  of  Cleveland. 


TIFFIN  CHURCH  WITHDRAWS. 

It  was  during  this  year  that  the  church  of  Tiffin,  at  the 
time  under  the  ministry  and  influence  of  Rev.  R.  B.  Bement, 
who  had  been  permitted  to  labor  in  the  bounds  of  Huron 
Presbytery,  withdrew  to  the  Old  School  Assembly.  There  was 
at  the  time  considerable,  and  some  very  decided,  dissatisfaction 


1851.  149 

in  the  church  in  view  of  the  action,  and  the  Presbytery  was 
not  well  pleased  thereat.  A  committee  was  directed  to  visit 
the  church  and  counsel  with  them  regarding  the  matter.  They 
did  so,  treating  the  church,  however,  in  the  most  brotherly 
spirit,  and  upon  finding  the  question  already  decided,  they  per- 
mitted the  church  to  go  to  the  Old  School  body  without  further 
trouble  on  their  part;  and  they  advised  the  minority,  who 
were  opposed  to  the  movement,  to  make  no  difficulty  in  the 
case.  There  is  reason  to  believe  that  the  minority  paid  due 
regard  to  this  wise  counsel  and  made  no  further  trouble,  but 
in  doing  so  at  least  a  large  part  of  them  withdrew  from  the 
organization.  It  is  more  than  probable  that  the  church  of 
Tiffin  was  for  many  years  afterward,  and  is  to  this  day,  a 
weaker  church  than  it  would  otherwise  have  been.  At  all 
events,  in  a  strong  and  growing  city,  it  remained  a  weak  and 
struggling  church  until  some  years  after  the  reunion  of  the 
two  branches  of  the  great  Presbyterian  family.  It  was  in  a 
sense  alone,  having  cut  itself  off"  from  the  association,  and, 
therefore,  from  the  sympathy  of  the  churches  of  the  surround- 
ing towns  and  country. 

1851. 

On  the  second  of  April  Rev.  C.  A.  Ransom  was  dismissed  to 
the  Union  Association,  of  Hillsboro,  N.  H.,  and  Mr.  C.  B. 
Sheldon,  licentiate,  was  received  from  the  Presbytery  of  Portage. 

On  the  8th  of  April  Mr.  Lemuel  Bissell,  licentiate,  was 
received  from  the  Presbytery  of  Portage,  and  was  ordained  on 
the  following  day  at  Milan,  with  a  view  to  the  work  of  a 
missionary  under  the  American  Board  of  Foreign  Missions. 
Mr.  Bissell  went  out  soon  after  to  his  field  in  India.  He  was 
the  representative  of  the  Presbytery  in  foreign  mission  work, 
his  name  remaining  upon  the  roll  of  the  body  for  forty  years, 
when  he  died,  on  the  28th  of  May,  1801,  at  Mahableshwar, 
India.  On  the  7th  of  May,  1851,  Rev.  A.  D.  Chapman  was 
installed  pastor  of  the  churches  of  Melmore  and  Bloom,  and 
Rev.  C.  J.  Pitkin  was  received  from  the  Presbytery  of  Trumbull. 


160  HISTORY  OF  HURON  PRESBYTERY. 

On  the  3d  of  September  the  pastoral  relation  existing  between 
Rev.  J.  M.  Hayes  and  the  church  of  Peru  was  dissolved,  as  was 
also  the  same  relation  between  Rev.  J.  C.  Sherwin  and  the 
church  of  Berlin.  Mr.  Sherwin  was  dismissed  to  the  Presbytery 
of  Minnesota.  Mr.  C.  B.  Sheldon  was,  on  October  7th,  ordained 
and  then  installed  pastor  of  tlie  church  of  Republic.  Rev.  M. 
Thompson  was  received  from  the  Presbytery  of  Franklin  on 
this  day,  and  on  the  8tli  of  September,  1852,  lie  was  dismissed 
to  the  Presbytery  of  Fort  Wayne. 


THE  SANDUSKY  CHURCH  WITHDRAWS. 

The  church  of  Sandusky  city,  which  was  Congregational  in 
its  government  and  now  influenced  by  Oberlinistic  views  of 
slavery,  notified  the  Presbytery  in  April  that  it  had  withdrawn 
from  it,  "  on  account  of  the  connection  of  the  Presbytery  with 
slavery," 

This  is  one  of  those  instances  which  show  how  strangely 
differently  different  men  will  view  the  same  subjects.  The 
church  of  Sandusky  had  overtured  the  Presbytery  the  pre- 
ceding year  for  some  further  action  on  the  then  troublesome 
subject.  One,  upon  looking  over  the  matter  at  this  da}',  would 
suppose  that  the  Presbytery  had  done  already  what  was  wise 
and  right,  to  clear  its  skirts  of  this  great  sin.  The  papers 
already  issued  upon  the  subject,  and  again  and  again  repeated, 
though  not  rabid,  but  designed  to  be  earnest,  while  rational, 
were  strong  denunciations  of  the  sin  of  holding  slaves,  of 
keeping  them  in  ignorance,  etc.,  etc.  They  seemed  to  the  good 
and  wise  men  of  the  body  itself  to  be  as  strong  as  they  could 
well  be  and  still  be  reasonable ;  and  yet  they  were  not  strong 
enough  to  meet  the  views  of  some  extremists. 

The  church  of  Sandusky  seems  to  have  thought  that  the 
Presbytery  had  not  yet  washed  its  garments  of  this  crime,  and 
was  tlierefore  still  in  some  sort  of  relation  with  it,  though  the 
members  had  again  and  again  declared  it  to  be  a  crime  against 
men  and  a  sin  against  God.     And,  this  being  the  case,  the 


THE  SANDUSKY  CHURCH  WITHDRAWS,  151 

church,  to  be  herself  clear  in  the  matter,  must  wholly  with- 
draw her  fellowship.  But  we  must  not  overlook  the  agitated 
state  of  the  times  nor  the  peculiar  influences  then  at  work,  and 
how  hard  it  is  at  such  times  and  under  such  influences  for  even 
rational  and  prudent  men  to  see  alike  or  to  keep  their  heads 
straight.  It  was  not  an  unusual  thing  in  that  day  for  a  church 
to  take  action  that  indicated  the  impulse  of  strong  feeling  rather 
than  well-balanced  judgment,  and  especially  so  when  led  by  a 
minister  of  an  impulsive  rather  than  a  sober,  thinking  char- 
acter. It  had  been  just  the  year  before,  1850,  that  Henry 
Clay's  Omnibus  Bill  had  been  passed  by  the  national  legisla- 
ture. This  bill  was  designed  by  its  distinguished  author  to  be 
a  compromise,  and  therefore  a  peace  measure.  But  it  included 
the  notorious  "  Fugitive  Slave  Bill."  This  set  many  Northern 
hearts  on  fire.  It  was  too  much  even  for  many  well-balanced 
minds  to  endure.  Most  Northern  men,  irrespective  of  party 
alliance,  had  been  content  to  feel  that  slave-holding  was  not 
any  particular  concern  of  theirs.  They  did  not  wish  to  see  it 
extended  into  new  Territories,  but  they  did  not  care  to  feel  that 
they  were  responsible  for  it  where  it  was. 

This  was  not  so  with  all  by  any  means.  There  had  for  some 
years  been  the  persistent  anti-slavery  agitators.  They  were  in 
Ohio.  Their  influence  was  felt  and  their  voices  heard  on  the 
Western  Reserve.  And  now,  when  by  a  national  law  Northern 
men  were  required  to  assist  in  the  cruel  hunt  of  the  fugitive 
slave,  the  ability  of  these  agitators  to  stir  the  hearts  of  men  in 
opposition  to  the  whole  slave  system  was  increased  an  hundred- 
fold. The  Northern  mind  rebelled  against  the  idea  of  turning 
poor,  ill-treated-slave  catcher.  The  excitement  became  intense 
in  some  regions,  and  the  cry  went  up  for  "personal  liberty," 
both  for  the  slave  and  for  the  white  man  wdio  was  expected  to 
catch  him. 

It  is  to  be  remembered  that  it  was  just  at  this  time,  when 
church  courts  were  expected  to  make  their  voice  to  be  heard, 
that  the  Sandusky  Congregational  church  became  displeased 
with  the  action,  or  the  want  of  action,  of  the  Huron  Presbytery. 


152  irTSTORY  OF  irrnox  presbytery. 

We  arc  left  to  conjecture  as  to  just  wliat  the  point  of  trouljle 
was,  in  the  minds  of  these  Sandusky  brethren,  against  tlie 
Presbytery.  This  church  had  petitioned  the  body  to  memori- 
ahze  the  General  Assembly  in  regard  to  slavery.  The  Pres- 
bytery had  responded  to  the  petition.  They  had  said,  however, 
in  their  memorial  to  the  A-ssembl}',  that  while  they  regarded 
the  holding  of  slaves  as  sin,  which  should  subject  the  slave- 
owner to  discipline  and  to  exclusion  from  the  Church,  yet  they 
admit  that  there  might  be  slave-owners  who,  doing  all  they 
could  for  their  slaves  and  toward  their  eventual  freedom,  were 
not  criminal.  They  then  request  the  General  Assembly  to 
advise  all  the  Presbj^teries  connected  with  it  to  institute  a 
thorough  examination  of  all  the  churches  under  their  care, 
respectively,  considering  the  ownership  of  slaves  as  "prima 
facie  "  evidence  of  wrong  until  proof  of  innocence  is  furnished, 
and  to  exercise  discipline  with  all  such  members  as  are  found 
guilty  of  the  sin. 

It  would  surely  appear  that  the  Presbytery  had  exculpated 
itself  by  such  resolutions,  as  it  was  so  entirely  without  the 
bounds  of  the  slave  region.  What  could  the  Presbytery  do, 
beyond  agitating  and  condemning  the  system,  to  release  the 
poor  slave  ?  This  these  men  were  all  willing  and  urgent  to  do. 
What  could  or  what  did  the  church  of  Sandusky  more  than 
this  ?  It  might  express  itself  a  little  more  strongly,  though 
scarcely  more  rationally  or  in  better  spirit. 

But  men  in  that  day,  standing  just  where  this  Presbytery 
did,  were  subject  to  reproach,  sometimes  bitter,  too,  from  both 
sides.  There  were  those  who  complained  that  they  went  too 
far  in  their  outcry  against  the  slave-owner ;  and  there  were 
those  who,  like  the  Sandusky  cliurch,  condemned  them  for  not 
going  far  enough. 

As  we  look  backward  to  the  scene  now,  knowing  what  we 
have  been  taught  in  the  awful  providence  of  God  toward  the 
South,  and  toward  the  whole  Nation,  we  are  ready  to  excuse, 
and  even  to  justify,  a  great  deal  of  the  anti -slavery  fire.  The 
men  and  women  who  were  carried  against  the  system  as  b}'  a 


EEV.  F.  S.    WHITE.  153 

storm  of  condemnation,  were  certainl}^  more  in  harmony  with 
the  purpose  and  providence  of  God  than  the  multitudes  who 
were  indifferent,  or  who  sought  to  excuse  so  great  an  evil  in 
the  land. 

As  a  nation,  we  see  the  whole  matter  now  with  other  eyes  and 
with  other  feelings  than  those  of  the  days  before  the  war,  and 
we  condone  the  griefs  and  trials  of  the  determined  anti-slavery 
agitator.     We  even  revere  his  name. 

Yet  since  the  storm  is  over  and  the  clouds  have  cleared  away, 
does  it  not  appear  that  those  earnest,  wakeful,  and  prudent 
fathers  and  brethren  of  Huron  Presbytery  were  about  right 
upon  this  subject?  Here  were  men  full  of  Christian  zeal  for 
humanity,  holding  slavery  to  be  a  high  crime,  willing  to  do 
anything  to  end  it  that  a  sense  of  right  and  compassion  for  the 
poor  bondman  would  indicate,  and  yet  whose  zeal  did  not  run 
away  with  wisdom  and  sound  judgment. 


1852. 
On  the  7th  of  April  Rev.  S.  R.  Lockwood  was  received  from 
the  Presbytery  of  Erie,  and  on  the  same  day  the  pastoral  rela- 
tion existing  between  Rev.  N.  Barrett  and  the  church  of  Milan 
was  dissolved.  On  the  8th  of  September  Mr.  H.  C.  Taylor, 
another  licentiate,  was  received  from  the  Presbytery  of  Portage. 


REV.  F.  S.  WHITE. 

On  the  29th  of  June  the  pastoral  relation  existing  between 
Rev.  Flavel  S.  White  and  the  church  of  Fremont  was  dis- 
solved. Mr.  AVhite  was  born  in  Williamsport,  New  York, 
October  3,  1817.  At  the  age  of  twenty  he  removed  to  Malone, 
New  York,  and  four  years  later  became  a  resident  of  Cleveland, 
Ohio.  At  the  age  of  twenty-seven  he  comj)leted  his  course  of 
theological  study  at  Western  Reserve  College.  In  September, 
1845,  he  was  married  to  Miss  Harriet  H.  Fuller,  of  Malone, 
New  York.  He  came  to  the  church  of  Fremont  in  May,  1846, 
and  on  the  seventh  of  September,  1847,  he  was  received  by  the 


154  HISTORY  OF  HURON  PRESBYTERY. 

Presbytery  of  Huron  as  a  licentiate  from  the  Presbytery  of 
Portage.  On  tlie  20th  of  October  following  he  was  ordained 
and  installed  pastor  of  this  church.  After  serving  the  church 
till  June,  1852,  his  voice  failed,  and  he  found  it  necessary  to 
retire  from  the  active  work  of  the  ministry.  He  remained, 
however,  in  Fremont,  entered  into  business,  and  continued  in 
business  until  his  death.  He  was  successful,  and  was  ever  a 
highly-esteemed  citizen  of  Fremont.  His  successes  were  not 
attained  through  methods  unworthy  of  a  Christian  man.  He 
was  a  just  man,  full  of  faith  and  of  good  works.  He  was  help- 
ful to  the  community  and  to  the  church.  He  never  actually 
demitted  the  ministry,  but  was  granted  the  relation  of  an  hon- 
orably retired  minister,  his  name  continuing  on  the  roll  of 
Presbytery  till  his  death.  His  material  means,  of  which  the 
Lord  endowed  him  somewhat  liberally,  were  not  withheld  from 
the  Church  when  needed.  He  was  one  of  the  large  contributors 
to  church  erection  and  improvement.  He  was  a  man  of  very 
considerable  ability,  and  had  the  providence  of  God  continued 
him  in  the  ministry,  he  would  in  this  calling,  no  doubt,  have 
been  one  of  the  successful  of  God's  servants.  He  died  on  the 
1st  of  February,  1890. 

1853. 

April  6th  Rev.  Hiram  Smith,  a  former  member,  was  again 
received  from  the  Presbytery  of  Elyria.  On  the  7th  of  September 
Rev.  A.  D.  Chapman  was  released  from  the  charges  of  Bloom 
and  Melmore  and  dismissed  to  the  Presbytery  of  Franklin. 

September  16th  Rev.  Newton  Barrett  was  dismissed  to  the 
Presbytery  of  Portage.  On  the  same  day  Rev.  S.  R.  Bissell  was 
received  from  the  Presbytery  of  St.  Joseph. 


1854. 

On  the  3d  of  January  Mr.  C.  H.  Taylor  was  ordained  and 
installed  pastor  of  the  church  at  Huron. 

April  5th  the  pastoral  relation  between  Rev.  H.  N.  Bissell 
and  the  church  of  Lyme  was  dissolved. 


1855.  155 

April  18th  Rev.  F.  A.  Deming  was  received  from  the  Pres- 
bytery of  Portage  and  installed  pastor  of  the  church  of  Berlin. 

On  the  same  day  Mr.  A.  Hartpence,  a  licentiate  from  the 
Presbytery  of  Cincinnati,  was  received,  and  on  the  31st  of 
October  following  he  was  ordained  as  an  evangelist. 


KEY.  A.  K.  BARR  SUSPENDED. 

Rev.  A.  K.  Barr  was  by  common  fame,  and  on  his  own  confes- 
sion, found  guilty  of  appropriating  what  did  not  belong  to  him. 
The  case  was  so  clear  that  on  the  6th  of  September,  1854,  he  was 
suspended  from  the  gospel  ministry.  Owing  to  renewed  lapses 
this  suspension  was  never  removed.  Mr.  Barr,  as  had  been  the 
case  with  Mr.  Crawford,  a  former  suspended  member,  continued 
to  give  the  Presbytery  trouble.  It  seemed  to  be  in  him  to  do 
wrongly.  He  ceased,  under  the  suspension,  to  preach,  and 
justified  the  suspension,  while  he  labored  in  distributing  Bibles 
and  tracts. 

But  he  again  violated  the  laws  of  Christian  propriety,  was 
visited  by  a  committee,  and  made  humble  and  apparently  honest 
confession.  He  was  borne  with,  though  still  under  surveillance, 
until  September,  1859,  when  the  committee  to  whom  his  case 
was  referred  reported  that  they  had  had  an  interview  with 
him,  and  that  such  were  his  confessions  that,  in  their  judg- 
ment, he  should  be  restored  to  the  ministry.  But  before 
another  meeting  of  the  body  God,  in  His  providence,  had  re- 
moved Mr.  Barr  by  death. 

On  the  5th  of  September  Rev.  Henry  A.  Rossiter  was  re- 
ceived from  the  Marietta  Association,  and  in  just  one  year 
from  that  date  he  was  dismissed  to  the  Presbytery  of  Green- 
castle. 

1855. 
April  4th  the  pastoral  relation  between  Rev.  C.  H,  Clapp  and 
the  church  of  Monroeville  was  dissolved,  and  Mr.  Clapp  was 
dismissed  to  the  New  Haven  Central  Association.     On  the  same 


156  HISTORY  OF  HURON  PRESBYTERY. 

day  Rev.  H.  N.  Bissell   was  dismissed   to  the  Presbytery  of 
Detroit. 

September  4th  the  pastoral  relation  between  Rev.  C.  B.  Shel- 
don and  the  Republic  church  was  dissolved,  and  Mr.  Sheldon 
was  dismissed  to  the  Minnesota  Association. 


1856. 

April  2d  Rev.  A.  Hartpence  was  dismissed  to  the  Presbytery 
of  Trumbull,  and  Rev.  John  McCutchin  was  received  from 
the  Presbytery  of  Maumee,  Rev.  Francis  Hendricks  from 
that  of  Chemung,  and  Rev.  Charles  Richards  from  that  of 
Catskill. 

On  the  3d  of  September  Rev.  J.  M.  Hayes  was  dismissed  to 
the  Association  of  Wisconsin. 

October  6tli  Rev.  Solomon  B.  Gilbert  was  received  from  the 
Franklin  Association  of  Massachusetts.  He  died  in  May  of  the 
following  year,  1857. 

On  the  6th  of  October  Mr.  J.  H.  Walter,  licentiate,  was  re- 
ceived from  the  Presbytery  of  Cincinnati  and  was  ordained  and 
installed  pastor  of  the  Milan  Church. 


1857. 

On  the  8th  of  April  Rev.  E.  Bushnell  was  received  from  the 
Presbytery  of  Grand  River,  and  on  the  12th  of  May  he  was  in- 
stalled pastor  of  the  church  at  Fremont. 

April  8th  Mr.  J.  B.  Fowler,  a  licentiate  of  the  Presbytery  of 
Cincinnati,  was  received  and  ordained  as  an  evangelist,  and 
Rev.  F.  Hendricks  was  dismissed  to  the  Presbytery  of  Harris- 
burg. 

On  the  12th  of  May  the  pastoral  relation  existing  between 
Rev.  F.  A.  Deming  and  the  church  of  Berlin  was  dissolved. 

September  2d  Rev.  J.  B.  Parlin  was  dismissed  to  the  Pres- 
bytery of  Dubuque. 


ATTICA    CHURCH  DISSOLVED.  157 

ATTICA  CHURCH  DISSOLVED. 

At  the  September  meeting,  in  1857,  held  at  Olena,  Rev.  E. 
Conger,  who  had  been  appointed  at  a  previous  meeting  to  visit 
the  church  of  Attica,  with  authority  to  exercise  his  judgment 
as  to  what  should  be  done  with  that  church,  reported  that  he 
had  consulted  with  the  members  at  an  appointed  time,  and 
that  they  had  concluded,  in  view  of  the  weak  and  unpromis- 
ing condition  of  the  organization,  to  give  letters  of  dismissal 
to  each  other,  and  that  the  church  should  be  dissolved,  and  so 
they  acted. 

This  church  had  had  a  struggling  existence.  It  had,  how- 
ever, as  its  leading  spirit  a  man,  Mr.  Jonathan  Ford,  of  great 
excellence  of  character.  Mr.  Ford  was  a  sterling  Presbyterian, 
and  for  years  he  sought  to  keep  alive  the  church  which  was 
dear  to  him.  Yet  he  could  associate  and  work  with  the  good 
of  other  denominations  ;  and  for  the  remaining  twenty -four 
years  of  his  life  he  did  cast  his  lot  mainly  with  the  Church  of 
the  United  Brethren.  He  was  born  in  Rensselaer  County,  New 
York,  June  9,  1796.  He  made  profession  of  his  faith  in 
Christ  in  his  youth.  He  erected  a  log  cabin  in  Attica,  and 
moved  into  it  in  the  year  1828.  Through  his  efforts  the  Pres- 
byterian Church  was  organized  in  Attica  in  October,  1833,  by 
Rev.  E.  Conger  and  Rev.  E.  Judson,  at  about  which  time  Mr. 
Ford  was  ordained  as  an  elder.  He  was  also  chosen  superin- 
tendent of  the  Union  Sabbath-school  in  the  same  year.  This 
position  he  held  for  twenty-five  years,  when  defective  hearing 
caused  him  to  resign. 

A  house  of  worship  was  erected  in  Attica  in  1840  by  a  com- 
bined effort  of  Lutherans,  Presbyterians,  and  others.  This 
house,  being  unfinished  and  unpaid  for,  was  put  to  sale.  Mr. 
Ford,  fearing  the  loss  of  a  place  of  public  worship,  purchased 
it  in  his  own  name,  paying  for  it  the  sum  of  three  hundred 
and  fifty  dollars.  He  afterward  had  it  reseated  and  improved. 
In  the  course  of  time  it  became  the  house  of  worship  of  the  United 
Brethren  Church.     In  this  church  Mr.  Ford  found  his  home. 


158  HISTORY  OF  HURON  PRESBYTERY. 

In  its  Sabbath -school  and  prayer-meeting  he  was  active,  and  sup- 
ported the  public  means  of  grace.  He  was,  however,  in  spirit 
and  faith  always  a  Presbyterian.  He  died  on  the  29th  of 
December,  1881,  aged  eighty-five  and  one-half  years. 

In  this  sanctuary,  which  he  had  helped  to  build,  which  he 
had  owned,  and  in  which  he  worshiped  in  the  spirit  of  broth- 
erly union,  his  funeral  services  were  conducted  by  Rev.  R.  1>. 
Moore,  who  officiated  at  ]\Ir.  Ford's  request. 


THE  DUTCH  CHURCH  OF  SANDUSKY. 

At  the  September  meeting  of  1857  a  committee,  consisting  of 
Messrs.  Newton,  Conger,  Walter,  Watson,  and  Bemis,  who  had 
been  appointed  in  April  to  confer  wdth  the  Reformed  Dutch 
Church  of  Sandusky,  which  had  applied  to  be  taken  under  the 
care  of  the  Presbytery,  reported. 

They  stated  that  they  had  met  the  male  members  of  the 
church,  together  with  their  minister,  Rev.  Mr.  Kuss.  They 
had  learned  that  the  church  was  once  connected  with  the  Tiffin 
Classis,  but,  becoming  dissatisfied  with  this  connection  on 
account  of  the  Puseyitic  tendencies  of  Dr.  Xevin,  a  prominent 
member  of  the  Synod,  they  had  left  that  Classis,  and  had  joined 
a  Classis  in  Michigan.  They  had  applied  for  aid  in  support  of 
a  minister  to  the  General  Synod  in  New  York ;  but,  although 
encouraged  to  expect  it,  had  uniformly  been  disappointed. 
They  were  burdened  with  a  heavy  debt  in  attempting  to  build 
a  church,  which  was  yet  unfinished.  They  had  a  minister  of 
good  character  and  standing  as  an  evangelical  and  pious  man. 
With  great  difiiculty  they  could  raise  only  about  gne  hundred 
dollars  toward  his  support. 

Finding  themselves  disappointed  in  not  receiving  aid  from 
New  York,  they  felt  that  they  must  give  up  all  hope  of  sus- 
taining themselves  as  a  church  unless  they  could  obtain  aid 
from  some  other  source. 

Under  these  circumstances  they  had  unanimously  resolved 
to  leave  the  Classis  of  Michigan  and  to  unite  with  the  Presby- 


1858.  159 

tery,  if  the  Presbytery  would  receive  them  and  do  what  they 
could  to  procure  them  assistance. 

The  Committee  had  made  diligent  inquiry  as  to  the  ortho- 
doxy and  religious  character  of  the  church.  They  had  found 
that  their  Confession  of  Faith  was  substantially  like  their  own, 
that  they  used  the  Heidelberg  Catechism  in  the  instruction  of 
their  children,  which  they  regarded  as  Calvinistic  in  doctrine, 
and  that  they  had  a  good  name  as  a  church  in  the  Christian 
community  of  Sandusky.  They  regarded  regeneration  as  the 
only  proper  basis  of  church  membership.  The  organization 
consisted  of  about  forty  members.  They  were  heartily  desir- 
ous of  being  taken  under  care  of  the  Presbytery,  and  were 
willing  to  adopt  the  Confession  of  Faith  and  Discipline  of  the 
body. 

After  this  report  it  was  concluded  to  receive  them  immedi- 
ately, without  waiting  for  their  formal  dismissal  from  the  Classis 
of  Michigan,  which  would  require  some  time.  They  were, 
therefore,  received  under  the  name  of  "  The  First  German  Pres- 
byterian Church  in  Sandusky  City,  Ohio." 

A  committee  was  afterward  appointed  to  visit  this  church, 
presumably  with  a  view  to  assisting  them  in  their  financial 
straits.  They  failed  to  do  so  in  due  time,  and  on  the  1st  of 
April,  1859,  the  Presbytery  received  a  notice  through  the 
Stated  Clerk  that  the  church  had  returned  to  the  Tiffin 
Classis.  Consequently  the  name  was  immediately  dropped 
from  the  roll  of  the  body. 

1858. 
During  this  year  the  following  changes  were  recorded : — 
April  7th  Rev.  Samuel  Montgomery  was  received  from  the 
Presbytery  of  Meadville ;    and  on  the  22d  of  September  Rev. 
•James  B.  Sheldon  was  received  from  the  Presbytery  of  Elyria. 
April  7th  Rev.  Seth  R.  Waldo  was  dismissed  to  the  Presby- 
tery of  Knox,  and  Rev.  C.  H.  Taylor  was  released  from  the 
pastorate  of  the  Huron  church  and  dismissed  to  the  Presby- 
tery of  Alton. 


160  HISTORY  OF  HURON  PRESBYTERY. 

September  22d  Rev.  F.  A.  Deming  was  dismissed  to  the 
Presbytery  of  Wabash,  and  Rev.  Charles  Richards  to  the  Pres- 
bytery of  Maumee. 

FROM  1859  TO  1800. 

No  changes  are  recorded  for  the  year  1859,  but  in  the  year 
18G0,  on  the  14th  of  April,  Mr.  F.  L.  Rossiter,  licentiate,  was 
received  from  the  Presbytery  of  Cincinnati.  A  call  was  placed 
in  his  hands  to  become  the  pastor  of  the  church  of  Huron. 
The  call  was  accepted,  and  on  the  15th  of  May  he  was  or- 
dained and  then  installed  pastor  of  said  church.  On  the  same 
15th  of  May  Rev.  J.  Everts  Weed  was  received  from  the  Pres- 
bytery of  Franklin. 


CONFESSION  OF  FAITH  AND  COVENANT. 

During  the  progress  of  events  recorded  in  this  chapter,  in 
the  year  1854,  the  Presbytery  had  the  Confession  of  Faith  and 
the  Covenant,  designed  for  the  use  of  churches  in  the  reception 
of  members,  prepared  for  publication,  with  proof-texts  under 
each  doctrine  set  forth.  This,  together  with  a  brief  history  of 
each  of  the  churches  under  its  care,  the  body  had  printed  and 
distributed  throughout  the  churches. 

This  was  done  for  the  instruction  of  the  members  and  fami- 
lies, that  all  who  had  thoughts  of  uniting  with  any  of  the 
churches  might  be  able  to  do  so  with  full  intelligence  of  what 
they  were  doing. 


CHAPTER  VIII.— FROM  1844  TO  1860. 
IMPORTANT  QUESTIONS. 

I.    NEGLECTFUL  REMOVING  COMMUNICANTS. 

We  have  already  observed  that  as  early  as  1828  the  Presby- 
tery felt  itself  called  upon  to  take  some  action  regarding  per- 
sons who  were  members  of  Presbyterian  or  Congregational 
churches  elsewhere  but  who,  now  residing  in  the  bounds  of 
churches  in  this  Presbytery,  yet  neglect  to  unite  with  them. 

The  decision  at  that  time  was  that  such  professing  Christians 
should  be  shown  their  duty,  and  then  if  they  still  persist  in 
their  neglect  they  should  be  reported  to  the  churches  to  which 
they  belong. 

Now,  again,  in  1845,  the  general  question,  which  still  vexed 
some  of  the  churches,  was  raised  by  an  overture  to  the  body  : 
"  What  shall  be  done  in  regard  to  those  church  members  who 
remove  from  our  bounds  into  others,  and  those  who  remove 
from  other  bounds  into  our  own,  without  taking  letters  with 
them  and  uniting  with  the  church  within  whose  bounds  they 
have  located  ?  " 

The  answer  of  the  Presbytery,  as  they  adopted  the  report  of 
a  committee  consisting  of  Messrs.  Judson,  Conger,  and  Parlin, 
was  that  it  is  the  duty  of  churches  to  which  removing  mem- 
bers belong  to  see  that  they  take  with  them  letters  of  dismis- 
sion to  the  churches  within  which  they  expect  to  reside,  and  if 
the  members  neglect  to  take  such  letters,  they  should  be  written 
to  and  persuaded  to  remove  their  church  relations ;  and  if  all 
reasonable  efforts  fail,  then  the  name  of  the  member  shall,  at 
the  expiration  of  two  years,  be  erased  from  the  roll  of  the 
church. 

In  regard  to  the  members  of  other  churches  residing  within 
11  161 


162  HISTORY  OF  HURON  PRESBYTERY. 

the  limits  of  any  of  the  churches  belonging  to  the  Presbytery, 
the  rule  of  the  Presbytery  has  been  to  debar  from  occasional 
communion  after  a  residence  of  one  year,  unless  in  cases  where 
good  reasons  exist  for  neglecting  the  change  of  relation.  Of 
this  rule  the  cliurches  were  reminded.  There  appears  to  have 
been  occasion  for  the  rule  and  for  its  enforcement.  New  comers 
would  sometimes  hesitate  a  considerable  time  before  deciding 
to  cast  in  their  lot  with  a  church  if  its  polity  happened  to  be 
not  purely  Congregational,  or  strictly  Presbyterian,  as  the  case 
might  be,  to  suit  the  preference  of  the  new  comer.  And  yet 
such  persons  might  be  disposed  to  participate  in  the  Sacra- 
mental service.  The  results  would  be  discouragement  to  the 
church,  and  increasing  indifference,  on  the  part  of  the  neglect- 
ing person,  to  the  duties  of  the  church  relation  and  to  other  calls 
of  the  Christian  life.  These  facts,  staring  the  ministers  and 
churches  in  the  face,  might  well  call  for  some  special  action. 


II.    COMMUNICANTS  WITHOUT  SAVING  EXPERIENCE. 

Another  somewhat  perplexing  question  was  raised  by  an 
overture  from  one  of  the  churches :  "  What  shall  be  done  with 
those  members  of  church  who  give  no  evidence  of  Christian 
character,  and  yet  are  guilty  of  no  disciplinable  offense,  but 
who  wish  to  have  their  relation  with  the  church  dissolved  ?  " 

This  serious  question  was  referred  to  a  committee  consisting 
of  Messrs.  Conger,  E.  Judson,  J.  Seymour,  and  P.  Adams.  They 
were  unable  to  report  any  definite  answer.  They  felt  that 
there  are  few  cases  of  the  kind  noticed  in  the  inquiry  which  are 
not  modified  by  such  circumstances  as  render  it  impossible  to 
lay  down  any  general  rule  of  action.  And  thus  the  matter 
was  left.  This  was  throwing  the  whole  responsibility  of  decid- 
ing in  such  perplexing  cases  back  upon  the  officers  of  each 
church.  They  were  to  decide  each  case  upon  its  own  merits. 
This  report  of  the  committee,  and  its  adoption  by  the  Presbytery, 
shows  a  little  want  of  courage  or  of  thought.  We  can  hardly 
avoid  looking  for  some  wholesome  counsel  from  such  a  com- 


SECRET  SOCIETIES.  163 

mittee,  and  from  this  usually  thoughtful  and  courageous  Pres- 
bytery, upon  the  question  of  opening  the  door  out  of  the 
church  and  releasing  from  their  Christian  vows  those  who 
become  neglectful  or  who  come  to  be  dissatisfied  with  their 
Christian  experience.  Only  a  few  years  later,  in  1858,  in 
reviewing  the  Milan  church  records,  they  take  quite  a  dif- 
ferent view  of  the  matter.  They  declare  then  that  a  church  is 
not  authorized  to  strike  off  the  name  of  a  church  member  in 
good  and  regular  standing,  at  the  request  of  the  member, 
because  he  thinks  he  is  not  a  Christian.  They  say  that  such  a 
principle  is  unknown  to  either  the  Congregationalist  or  the 
Presbyterian  Church,  and  inconsistent  with  the  nature  of  the 
covenant  entered  into  by  every  church  member. 


HI.    SECRET    SOCIETIES. 

In  1845  an  overture  from  the  session  of  the  church  of 
Bloom ville  calls  for  a  deliverance  upon  the  subject  of  secret 
societies.  This  subject  was  at  that  time  giving  some  trouble 
in  that  church.  How  many  of  its  members  had  united  with 
such  a  society  we  know  not,  or  whether  more  than  one  or  two. 
A  son  of  one  of  the  members,  and  himself  a  member  of  the 
church,  had  done  so.  It  was  a  great  source  of  dissatisfaction 
to  the  elders  and  the  father,  and  also  a  matter  of  very  doubtful 
propriety  to  others.  The  result  was  the  overture  to  the  Pres- 
bytery asking,  "  What  course  shall  be  pursued  with  those 
members  of  Church  who  join  secret  societies — as  the  Odd 
Fellows,  etc." 

The  committee  to  whom  this  question  was  referred  consisted 
of  Messrs.  Judson,  Newton,  and  West.  Upon  their  report  the 
Presbytery  declared  that  while,  in  their  opinion,  the  influence 
of  such  societies  is  generally  not  favorable  to  the  cultivation  of 
the  Christian  graces,  yet  they  were  of  the  opinion  that  it  is 
inexpedient  for  either  the  Presbytery  or  individual  churches  to 
attempt  any  general  action  or  to  adopt  any  general  rules  on 
the  subject. 


164  HISTORY  OF  HURON  PRKHBYTERY. 

This  disposition  of  the  question,  in  1845,  was  not  satisfactory 
to  the  Bloomville  church.  Tliey  had  lioped  for  a  fuller  and 
a  more  decided  expression.  They  wished  for  some  action  that 
might  help  to  stay  the  rising  tide  that  was  beginning  to  bear 
Church  members  into  the  secret  orders.  Accordingly,  in  the 
year  1846,  they  again  overtured  the  body  for  further  expression 
of  its  views  and  judgment,  both  upon  this  subject  and  the 
question  of  slavery.     They  secure  a  hearing. 

Upon  the  subject  of  secret  societies  Rev.  E.  Judson  is  again 
chairman  of  the  committee,  and  with  him  there  were  associated 
Rev.  Mr.  Hull  and  Elders  Patterson  and  Ford. 

They  said  in  their  report  that  "  while  they  should  regret  that 
members  of  the  Church  should  unite  with  secret  societies,  as 
they  could  see  no  valid  inducements  to  a  Christian  to  seek  such 
fellowship,  yet  they  were  not  prepared  to  say  that  simple 
membership,  where  it  does  not  result  in  any  known  un- 
christian conduct,  is  a  proper  matter  of  church  discipline. 
Yet,  where  members  of  the  Church  have  formed  a  connection 
of  the  kind  and  it  becomes  an  occasion  of  grief  or  wounding 
to  their  brethren,  they  were  of  the  opinion  that  the  spirit  of 
the  Gospel  would  require  that  such  persons  should  abandon 
such  connection  for  the  sake  of  their  grieved  brethren.  And, 
tinall}^  they  would  leave  the  matter  of  discipline  in  such  cases 
largely  with  the  individual  churches." 

This  was  the  action  of  the  Presbj^tery,  and  the  final  one,  upon 
this  subject ;  a  subject  which  has  at  various  times  agitated  the 
Church  of  Christ,  and  a  subject  which,  there  is  great  reason  to 
fear,  is  yet  to  awaken  great  concern  in  the  minds  of  Christian 
people  everywhere.  The  spirit  of  secret  fraternity  and  bond  is 
on  the  increase  in  this  land.  Many  seem  to  be  possessed  with 
it  to  such  a  degree  as  to  make  them  foolish,  as  they  become 
members  of  a  number  of  such  orders.  With  many,  there  can 
be  no  doubt,  it  is  their  religion.  It  is,  at  least,  allowed  by  them 
to  supplant  the  Church.  The  men  of  our  land  to-day  who  are 
members  of  secret  orders  are  numbered  b}''  the  hundreds  of 
thousands.     There  are  over  600,000  Free  Masons,  as  many  Odd 


DIVORCE,  AND   OTHER    QUESTIONS.  165 

Fellows,  and  half  as  many  Knights  of  Pythias — 1,500,000  in 
these  three  orders,  and  these  are  not  all. 

Multitudes  of  our  young  men  are  passing  by  the  Church  to 
find  their  home  in  such  societies.  The  numbers  in  these  orders 
are  increasing  j^early,  and  while  it  is  certainly  true  that  among 
them  are  many  earnest  Christians,  yet,  it  is  the  testimony 
of  many  pastors  of  churches  that  the  secret  society  interferes 
with  the  Christian  life,  is  often  made  a  substitute  for  the 
Christian  faith,  and  must,  therefore,  interfere  with  the  great 
work  of  the  Church  in  manifold  ways.  The  question  is  waiting 
for  an  answer :  What  is  to  be  done  to  stay  the  march  of  this 
great,  selfish  fascination  and  to  turn  the  tide  of  desire,  in  both 
men  and  women,  that  runs  thitherward,  into  the  Church  of  the 
Redeemer  ? 

The  answer  of  Huron  Presbytery  to  the  Bloomville  over- 
ture at  that  time  was  certainly  wise,  as  the  overture  itself 
indicated  wisdom  and  thought.  The  answer  was  the  best  that 
could  then  be  given.  Those  bodies  who  have  taken  the  higher 
ground,  and  have  counseled  the  excision  of  all  secret  society 
men  from  the  Church,  have  not  yet  proven,  however  nearly 
right  they  may  be  in  principle,  that  their  course  has  helped 
the  cause  of  Christ  or  of  the  truth  so  far  as  can  now  be  seen. 
It  has  at  least  not  helped  their  own  denomination.  But  when 
we  remember  that  of  7,000,000  of  the  young  men  in  our  land 
5,000,000  never  attend  the  sanctuary,  and  that  the  secret  socie- 
ties are  continually  on  the  increase,  we  may  gravely  ask 
whether  the  answer  of  the  past  to  the  overture,  which  to  some 
minds  now  swells  up  before  the  Church,  will  be  the  truest  and 
best  answer  in  the  future,  or  at  least  the  only  answer  ? 


IV.    DIVORCE,  AND    OTHER    QUESTIONS. 

In  1847,  as  some  one  or  more  of  the  licentiates  of  the  Presby- 
tery had  been  seeking  the  right  to  perform  the  marriage  cere- 
mony, it  was  deemed  necessary  to  notify  such  licentiates  that, 
as  they  were  not  in  the  full  and  legal  sense  ministers  of  the 


166  jiisronv  of  iiuron  presbytery. 

Gospel,  it  was  both  contrary  to  tlie  statutes  of  Olno  and  at 
variance  witli  the  long-estabHslied  usages  of  the  Presbyterian 
and  Congregational  Churches  that  they  should  officiate  in  the 
solemnization  of  marriage  ;  and  they  were  advised  no  longer  to 
apply  to  the  courts  for  license  to  do  so. 

In  1848  some  one  of  the  churches,  troubled  on  the  subject 
of  dancing,  wished  to  know  whether  parents  who  were  mem- 
bers of  churches,  and  who  encouraged  or  suffered  their  children 
to  attend  dancing  schools,  balls,  and  cotillion  parties,  were  to 
be  considered  as  covenant  breakers  and  dealt  with  accordingly. 
A  paper  in  answer  to  this  inquiry  was  prepared  by  a  committee 
of  which  Rev.  A.  Newton  was  the  chairman.  The  paper  was 
reported  and  adopted  at  the  next  meeting  of  the  bod}'-,  but  was 
not  placed  upon  the  records.  We  can  onl}'  conjecture  that  its 
tenor  was  against  the  dancing  school  and  the  ball ;  and  we 
know  that  it  did  not  settle  the  vexing  question. 

A  few  years  later,  in  1857,  the  Presbytery  were  beginning  to 
feel  the  importance  of  a  subject  which,  in  these  later  days,  is 
having  so  much  attention  in  periodicals  and  ecclesiastical 
courts — that  of  divorce. 

The  separation  of  husband  and  wife  was  an  evil  hardly  so 
frequent  or  so  permanent  then  as  now,  yet  there  was  enough 
of  it  to  awaken  sorrow  and  solicitude  and  to  call  for  the  con- 
sideration of  Christian  assemblies.  Some  one,  whose  name  is 
not  given,  presented  a  request  that  Presbytery  would  call  the 
attention  of  tlie  Synod  to  the  laws  of  the  State  in  relation  to 
divorce.  The  request  secured  a  response,  and  the  Rev.  John 
McCutchen,  probabl}'  the  brother  who  had  introduced  the 
subject,  was  directed  to  prepare  an  overture  to  the  Synod  upon 
it.  The  Synod,  no  doubt,  took  some  action  in  the  matter ;  but 
man  and  wife  continue  to  quarrel;  divorces,  in  increasing 
numbers,  continue  to  be  granted ;  sorrow  and  shame  are  the 
result;  and  the  evil  will  probably  continue  in  its  enlarged 
form  until  men  and  women  give  more  earnest  thought  to  the 
prior  question  of  marriage ;  until  marriages  are  more  generally 
the  result  of  true  affection,  and  of  wisdom  in  the  consideration 


MILAN  CHURCH  RECORDS.  167 

of  the  fitness  of  each  party  for  the  other,  and  until  the  States 
of  this  Union  shall  have  resolved  to  meet  the  evil  of  divorce 
with  a  strong  and  a  Scriptural  law — a  law  that  will  forbid  the 
remarriage  to  any  other  party  of  the  man  or  woman  who  has 
been  once  divorced,  except  it  be  the  innocent  party,  and  in  a 
case  where  the  release  has  been  granted  to  that  party  on  the 
one  only  Scriptural  ground  for  divorce. 


V.    MILAN   CHURCH   RECORDS. 

At  the  meeting  of  Presbytery  at  Plymouth,  in  April,  1857, 
certain  exceptions  were  taken  to  the  records  of  the  Milan 
church,  and  an  overture  on  certain  points  was  presented  to  the 
Presbytery  in  connection  with  the  exceptions  reported  by  the 
committee  on  the  records.  The  whole  matter  was  referred  to  a 
special  committee  consisting  of  Messrs.  Newton,  Gilbert,  and 
Bemis.  They  were  not  expected  to  report  until  the  next  stated 
meeting.  At  the  next  meeting  the  final  conclusion  was  not 
yet  reached,  and  Rev.  E.  Conger  was  added  to  the  committee. 
The  final  report  was  made  in  April,  1858,  and  action  taken 
thereon. 

In  order  to  understand  the  whole  matter  in  controversy  it  is 
necessary  to  remember  that  the  church  of  Milan,  while  in  every 
way  one  of  the  best  in  the  Presbytery,  was  one  of  a  mixed 
order.  It  was  partly  Congregational  and  partly  Presbyterian. 
Some  part  of  its  time  it  was  under  the  one  form  of  government 
and  part  of  its  time  under  the  other.  Though  the  Presbyterian 
order  finally  prevailed,  it  was  not  always  so. 

The  items  in  the  records  to  which  exceptions  were  taken  are 
these : — 

"  Whereas,  Mr.  George  W.  Mears  and  his  wife  have  for 
some  years  past  neglected  the  ordinances  of  God's  house,  and 
have  been  frequently  labored  with,  but  in  vain ;  and  whereas 
they  both  desire  that  their  names  be  dropped  from  the  list  of 
membership  ;  therefore, 

"Resolved,  That  they  be  considered  as  no  longer  members  of 
this  church." 


168  HISTORY  OF  HURON  PRESBYTERY. 

To  this  action  was  added  a  resolution  made  by  Mr.  Barney, 
whicli,  though  not  adopted  by  the  church  or  its  officiary,  was 
nevertheless  placed  upon  the  church  records.  The  resolution 
stated : — 

"  That,  believing  church  government  is  designed  for  the 
benefit  of  each  and  all  of  the  members,  and  that  two  cannot 
walk  together  except  they  be  agreed  ;  therefore  it  is 

"Resolved,  That  any  member  of  this  church  in  good  and 
regular  standing  may,  on  signifying  his  wish  to  withdraw 
from  the  church,  have  his  name  erased,  and  he  may  be  dis- 
charged from  further  covenant  obligations." 

To  these  two  items,  very  naturally,  exceptions  were  taken  by 
the  Presbytery.  The  one  actually  released  a  man  and  his  wife 
from  their  obligations  to  lead  a  Christian  life,  at  their  request. 
The  other  item  proposed  to  do  this  in  general.  It  said  to  any 
man  who  wanted  out  of  the  church,  "  We  release  you  from  all 
your  covenant  obligations."  This  last  item  was  not  adopted 
as  the  rule  by  which  the  church  proposed  to  go  in  the  future ; 
but  it  was  placed  upon  the  records,  indicating  that  it  might 
have  some  influence,  and  that  it  had  its  friends. 

The  overtures  to  the  Presbytery  suggested  by  these  items  in 
the  records  of  the  church  of  ]\Iilan  were  these  : — 

"  1st.  Is  it  allowable  to  strike  off  the  names  of  church  mem- 
bers, in  good  and  regular  standing,  at  their  request,  if  they 
declare  that  they  are  not  Christians  and  that  they  were  de- 
ceived?" 

"  2d.  Are  Congregational  churches  under  care  of  Presbytery 
bound  by  the  rules  of  Presbytery,  or  the  Confession  of  Faith, 
in  the  process  of  discipline?" 

In  the  answer  the  exceptions  to  the  records  and  these  two 
overtures  were  to  be  considered  together,  and  the  action  of 
the  Presbytery  upon  the  whole  was  as  follows : — 

"  1st.  Congregational  churches,  under  care  of  Presbytery, 
are  not  bound  by  the  rules  of  Presbytery  in  process  of  discip- 
line any  farther  than  such  rules  coincide  with  Congregation- 
alism." 


MILAN  CHURCH  RECORDS.  169 

"  2d.  The  resolution  of  Mr.  Barney  embodies  a  principle  un- 
known to  either  the  Congregational  or  Presbyterian  Churches. 
It  is  inconsistent  with  the  nature  of  the  covenant  entered  into 
by  every  member,  and  in  its  ultimate  effects  is  subversive  of 
church  order  and  discipline." 

"3d.  The  church  is  not  authorized  to  strike  off  the  names 
of  church  members  in  good  standing." 

"  4th.  The  mere  declaration  of  a  member  that  he  is  not  a 
Christian,  and  w^as  not  W'hen  he  joined  the  church,  does  not 
justify  an  exclusion  from  the  church  ;  nor  does  any  neglect  of 
duty  or  wrong-doing  justify  the  church  in  cutting  off  a  mem- 
ber, even  though  he  may  acknowledge  the  offense  and  waive  a 
formal  trial.  As  one  of  the  important  ends  of  church  discip- 
line is  the  reformation  and  return  to  duty  of  the  erring  brother, 
it  is  highly  important  that  the  church  use  all  proper  means 
for  this  purpose,  and  therefore  it  ought  in  any  case  to  go  through 
the  regular  process  of  discipline,  as  prescribed  in  the  Book  of 
Discipline  and  Practice  observed  by  Presbyterian  and  Congrega- 
tional churches  generally." 

This  last  article  was  not  intended  to  mean  that  in  no  case 
should  a  member  be  cut  off  from  the  Church,  but  that  none 
should  be  so  dealt  with,  except  after  due  process  of  discipline 
and  after  proper  trial.  The  act  must  be  done  according  to 
law,  for  the  good  of  the  man  and  the  honor  of  the  Church. 

In  the  first  article,  of  this  action  of  the  Presbytery,  there 
appears  to  be  a  justification  of  those  men  who,  in  that  day, 
condemned  the  Plan  of  Union  on  the  ground  that  it  gave 
away  to  Congregationalism  everything  that  was  distinctively 
Presbyterian.  It  is  true  that  the  Congregationalists,  on  the 
other  hand,  claimed  that  they  were  surrendering  all  to  Presby- 
terianism,  and  that  their  denomination  was  the  loser  in  the 
Union.  Yet  it  must  be  clear,  as  illustrated  in  this  case  of  the 
Milan  church  and  the  decision  of  the  Presbytery  regarding  it, 
whatever  else  we  ma}''  say  of  the  Plan  of  Union,  that  it  did  give 
away  to  Congregationalism  whatever,  in  the  process  of  discipline, 
was  distinctively  Presbyterian.     The   article   says   as   much. 


170  HISTORY  OF  HURON  PRESBYTERY. 

That  was  tlie  cliief  trouble,  unavoidable  with  the  Plan,  perhaps 
with  any  ])lan.  It  placed  Presbyterians  in  a  position  that  re- 
strained them  at  home,  while  it  caused  the  turning  of  their 
benevolent  contributions  into  channels  that  were  rather  Con- 
gregational than  Presbyterian.  This  was  the  fact  as  between 
the  New  School  Presbyterians  and  the  Congregationalists,  as  it 
had  been  before  the  excision  as  between  the  latter  and  Presby- 
terians generally. 

To  put  the  matter  in  a  form  that  will  occasion  least  dispute: 
It  produced  facts  and  conditions  that  awakened  doubt  and  dis- 
satisfaction in  the  great  outside  Presbyterian  world,  while, 
on  the  other  hand,  when  viewed  from  the  Congregationalist 
standpoint,  its  conditions  and  results  were  not  satisfactory 
there. 

In  regard  to  the  rest  of  the  Presbytery's  deliverance  in  the 
Milan  Church  case,  and,  indeed,  in  regard  to  it  all,  there  can 
hardly  be  a  reasonable  question  as  to  its  correctness  of  judg- 
ment. 

The  idea  that  a  church  court,  high  or  low,  can  release  a  man 
from  his  covenant  obligations  to  God,  while  from  the  standpoint 
of  humanit}'^  it  may  appear  commendable,  will  hardly  bear  a 
moment's  serious  thought. 

And  this  is  a  correct  view  of  the  question.  A  man,  in  be- 
coming a  nominal  Christian,  covenants  to  be  the  Lord's,  to 
love,  trust,  and  obey  Him.  His  vows,  whether  made  in  secret 
or  in  public,  are  vows  to  God. 

The  Church,  therefore,  if  a  man  violate  his  vows  in  open 
transgression,  may  by  the  Divine  permission  and  requirement, 
after  due  process,  cut  that  man  off  from  its  fellowship.  It  may 
do  so  for  its  own  purity  and  honor,  and  also  as  a  means  of 
eventually  reclaiming  the  man,  as  well  as  a  warning  to  others. 
But  to  release  any  man,  transgressor  or  no  transgressor,  from 
his  covenant  obligations  to  God,  to  set  him  free  from  his  vows 
to  be  faithful  to  the  Lord  and  to  His  Church,  which  seems  to  be 
the  idea  of  those  asking  release  from  church  membership,  the 
Pope  only,  we  think,  would  have  the  courage  for  that. 


MILAN  CHURCH  RECORDS.  171 

It  is  a  sad  and  pitiable  case  to  be  in,  to  feel  that  one  has 
been  deceived  and  had  never  been  a  Christian  in  reality,  even 
though  a  profession  of  saving  faith  has  been  made.  But  what 
is  the  man  to  do  ?  Is  it  not  the  worst  of  unwisdom  for  him  to 
abandon  the  ordinances  he  has  vowed  to  observe,  and  then  to 
make  his  own  growing  indifference  the  sole  ground  on  which 
he  would  be  released  from  all  his  sacred  obligations  ? 

And  is  it  not  the  last  thing  for  the  Church  to  do,  to  say  to 
that  man,  "  We  hereby  release  you  ;  go  in  peace  "  ? 

Rather,  let  the  man  take  the  alarm  his  condition  warrants 
him  to  feel ;  let  him  hasten  to  prayer  and  to  the  bearing  of  his 
cross  in  surrender  to  God ;  let  the  Church  urge  and  entreat  him 
to  this,  never  failing  to  remind  him  that  the  vows  of  God  are 
upon  him,  and  that  no  tribunal  on  earth  can  release  him  from 
those  vows,  and  that  the  Lord  waits  to  receive  and  to  help  him. 

This  course,  properly  pursued  by  the  Church  and  duly  re- 
garded by  the  man,  is  surely  most  of  all  likely  to  lead  to 
repentance  and  to  reclaim  the  man,  while  it  is  also  the  most 
healthful  in  its  effect  on  the  Church. 

The  other  course  is  sometimes  adopted  by  churches  and 
people.  It  is  regarded  as  the  shortest,  easiest,  and  the  most 
charitable  way  of  discipline.  In  this  way  we  seem  to  avoid 
collision,  and  to  be  acting  most  kindly  and  in  harmony  with 
the  other  organizations  and  societies  of  earth.  But  so  doing 
we  forget  that  the  Church  stands  on  a  plain  far  above  any 
other  society,  and  that  the  Word  and  Spirit  of  God  and  the 
high  charity  of  Christ  are  to  be  our  guide  in  all  our  dealing 
with  fellow-disciples.  The  idea  of  so  releasing  a  church  mem- 
ber was,  perhaps,  as  little  in  harmony  with  the  spirit  of  Con- 
gregationalism as  with  Presbyterianism ;  and  so  the  Presbytery 
say  it  is  a  principle  unknown  to  either  of  the  denominations, 
as  well  as  inconsistent  with  the  nature  of  the  covenant  entered 
into  by  every  church  member. 


172  HISTORY  OF  HURON  PRESBYTERY. 

VI.    THE  PASTORAL  RELATION. 

Several  times  in  the  history  of  this  body  there  is  interest 
manifested  in  the  constitution  of  pastorates  and  in  their  con- 
tinuance. 

In  1855,  in  dissolving  the  pastoral  relation  between  Rev.  C. 
H.  Clapp  and  the  Monroeville  church,  occasion  is  taken  to 
lament  that  this  relation  seems  to  be  so  lightly  esteemed  and 
so  frequently  sundered. 

The  presbyters  say  that  while  they  do  not  claim  the  right  to 
interfere  in  the  private  concerns  of  the  churches,  yet  they 
believe  that  the  true  interest,  both  of  ministers  and  churches, 
demands  that  the  pastoral  relation  should  be  regarded  as  a 
permanent  one,  and  should  not  be  dissolved  for  slight  causes. 
They  further  claim  the  right  to  advise  in  the  matter,  and  they 
complain  of  the  ministers  and  churches  for  practically  dis- 
solving their  relations  before  seeking  their  counsel. 

It  was  certainly  something  to  cause  regret  in  those  days,  as 
now,  to  some  extent,  that  this  solemn  and  sacred  relation 
should,  in  so  many  cases,  be  of  so  short  duration.  Some  of 
the  ministers,  and  also  of  the  people,  did  not  look  upon  the 
pastorate  as  having  anything  like  permanence  about  it.  Some 
of  the  ministers,  as  Rev.  E.  Judson,  were  led  to  change  their 
views  of  this  matter  after  a  few  years  of  experience.  But 
one  of  the  most  regretful  facts  in  the  history  of  the  Pres- 
bytery is  the  very  short  and  uncertain  duration  of  pastorates. 
For  a  number  of  years  two  and  three  dissolutions  of  such  rela- 
tions occur  almost  annually.  It  is  wearisome  to  record  the 
perpetual  reception  and  dismission  of  ministers,  and  the 
installations  and  dissolutions  of  relations.  So  little  seems  to 
be  permanent,  or  to  wear  the  appearance,  in  this  respect,  of 
strong  Presbyterianism.  The  weakness  of  most  of  the  churches, 
their  mixed  character,  and  the  uncertainty  of  pastoral  support, 
must  be  given  as  the  rational  way  of  accounting  for  it.  There 
were  several  of  the  churches  stronger  at  the  start,  and  growing 
stronger,  in  which  the  pastorates  were  of  longer  duration. 


THE  PASTORAL  RELATION.  173 

In  1859  the  General  Assembly  expressed  a  hope  that  the 
matter  of  having  the  pastoral  relation  constituted  between 
ministers  and  churches  should  not  be  overlooked.  In  response 
to  this  expression,  as  its  force  was  recognized,  the  Presbytery 
resolved  to  recommend  to  the  churches  to  establish  this  rela- 
tion whenever  and  wherever  the  providence  of  God,  reasonably 
interpreted,  should  open  the  way.  To  this  subject  General 
Assemblies  have  more  than  once  or  twice  called  attention.  It 
is  a  leading  idea  in  the  Presbyterian  system  and  polity  that 
the  pastorate  should  be  constituted  in  the  regular  way,  and 
that  the  stated  supply  arrangement  should  be  the  exception. 
Underlying  the  idea  of  the  pastorate  is  the  thought  of  perma- 
nency of  relation,  as  also  of  intimacy  and  reality  ;  and  although 
there  has  not  been  strict  adherence  to  this  ideal  in  the  practice 
of  many  ministers  and  churches,  yet  the  belief  in  the  ideal  has 
never  been  abandoned,  and  its  importance  is  very  often  brought 
home  to  the  minds  of  ministers,  and  the  desire  is  expressed  by 
assemblies,  synods,  and  presbyteries  that  the  practice  may 
become  more  general,  and  that  pastorates  may  be  of  longer 
duration. 

In  Huron  Presbytery  there  has  generally  been  some  weak- 
ness upon  this  point.  There  has  been  more  or  less  of  the 
stated  supply  practice ;  but  especially  here  the  pastorates,  wdien 
regularly  constituted,  have  been  of  brief  continuance.  Many  pas- 
torates have  not  endured  beyond  a  year,  or  two  or  three  years. 
There  have  been  at  least  three  noteworthy  exceptions  to  this 
statement.  In  the  case  of  Dr.  Newton  and  Norwalk  the  relation 
of  minister  and  people  continued  for  over  thirty-five  years ;  in  the 
case  of  Rev.  J.  H.  AValter  and  the  church  of  Milan  it  continued 
for  twenty-seven  years,  and  in  that  of  Dr.  Bushnell  and  the 
church  of  Fremont  for  twenty-five  years.  Others  have  con- 
tinued for  five  or  ten  years.  But  many  of  the  churches  have 
experienced  great  frequency  of  change.  And  the  imperfections 
resulting  from  want  of  conformity  to  the  true  Presbyterian 
ideal  have  often  been  realized  and  expressed. 

It  is  evident  that  those  churches,  as  Norwalk,  Milan,  and 


174  HISTORY  OF  HURON  PRESBYTERY. 

Fremont,  which  were  willing  and  able  to  have  the  relation  con- 
stituted, and  which  have  with  the  least  frequency  sought  the 
dissolution  of  it,  are  the  churches  which  have  been  most  sub- 
stantial and  successful. 


VII.   DOCTRINAL  STRICTNESS  AND  LIBERALITY. 

It  has  ever  been  the  clearly  defined  purpo.se  of  this  body  to 
stand  faithfully  by  the  doctrines  of  the  Presbyterian  and  the 
Congregational  Churches.  And  yet  while  adhering  as  closely 
as  possible  to  the  articles  in  the  Creed,  there  has  always  been  a 
large  degree  of  liberality,  as  is  manifest  in  many  of  the  deci- 
sions and  deliverances  of  the  Presbytery.  Part  of  this  liber- 
ality would  result,  naturally,  from  the  Plan  of  Union,  on  the 
basis  of  which  the  Presbytery  and  the  churclies  were  organized. 
Part  of  it,  however,  was  rather  the  characteristic  of  the  body 
and  of  most  of  the  men  who  composed  it.  It  was  at  no  time 
an  inconsistent  or  unreasonable  liberalit}^  There  were  the 
limitations  of  truth  and  of  correct  action,  which  were  not  to  be 
trespassed  for  any  consideration.  The  strictness  was  fairly 
tested  on  the  one  hand,  and  the  liberality  illustrated  on  the 
other,  by  the  various  overtures  that  were  introduced  at  dif- 
ferent times  upon  the  subject  of 


BAPTISM. 

1.  In  1832  there  was  an  overture  regarding  the  validity  of 
baptism  performed  by  a  Catholic  priest.  This  inquiry  was 
answered  in  the  negative.  The  Presbytery  did  not  believe  that 
such  baptism  should  be  regarded  as  having  any  validity ;  and, 
therefore.  Catholic  converts  uniting  with  any  of  the  churches 
under  its  care  should  be  rebaptized. 

2,  In  1840  one  of  the  churches  inquired,  "  Is  it  expedient  or 
proper  to  baptize  by  immersion  a  believer  in  Christ  who  has 
been  baptized  by  sprinkling  in  infancy,  with  which  baptism 
in  infancy  the  conscience  of  the  subject  is  not  satisfied  ?  " 


BAPTISM.  175 

It  is  not  presumed  that  the  question  provoked  any  very  pro- 
longed discussion.  The  heads  of  the  brethren  were,  at  any 
rate,  clear  and  their  deliverance  satisfactory.  The  report  of  a 
committee  on  the  subject  was  adopted.  That  report  said  :  "  It 
is  not  expedient  nor  proper  to  thus  rebaptize  a  subject,  and  for 
these  two  reasons  : — 

"  1st.  Baptism,  being  an  initiatory  ordinance,  when  once  law- 
fully administered,  it  is  not  to  be  repeated  to  the  same  indi- 
vidual. 

"  2d.  Baptism  cannot  be  administered  as  proposed  in  the 
overture  without  implicitly  nullifying  this  ordinance  as  admin- 
istered in  infancy,  and  thus  treating  as  a  nullity  the  doctrine 
of  infant  baptism." 

3.  In  1848  a  double  overture  was  presented  to  the  body,  ask- 
ing :  "  Shall  those  who  cannot  consent  to  our  article  of  faith 
respecting  infant  baptism  be  admitted  to  our  churches  as  mem- 
bers ;  and  shall  those  who  cannot  assent  to  our  article  of  faith 
regarding  the  doctrine  of  election  be  received  into  our  churches 
as  members  ?  "  These  were  two  distinct  overtures,  but  prob- 
ably both  from  the  same  source. 

To  both  Presbytery  gave  its  answer,  prepared  for  its  adoption 
by  a  committee  of  which  Rev.  E.  Conger  was  the  chairman 
and  Messrs.  Hayes  and  Adams  the  associate  members.  They 
set  forth  the  importance  of  both  these  doctrines,  and  declare 
that  they  are  unwilling  that  the  articles  of  faith  should  either 
be  changed  or  their  action  suspended  for  the  sake  of  multiply- 
ing members,  as  that  would  only  be  to  admit  an  element  of 
weakness.  They,  therefore,  deem  it  inexpedient  to  admit  such 
members,  as  they  would  not  desire  members  strongly  preju- 
diced against  the  faith  of  the  Church,  and  as  suspending  any 
of  the  articles  of  faith  for  the  sake  of  some  individuals  tends 
to  produce  confusion  in  the  Church  and  uncertainty  in  the 
minds  of  others  as  to  what  is  our  foundation.  There  is  dan- 
ger, too,  they  say,  of  opening  the  door  to  errorists ;  and  then 
there  is  no  stopping  place.  If  one  or  two  articles  are  sus- 
pended, why  not  others  ?     And   still    further,   placing   their 


176  HISTORY  OF  HURON  PRESBYTERY. 

Christian  charity  side  by  side  with  their  doctrinal  integrity, 
they  say  there  are  other  churches,  evangehcal  in  their  general 
character,  to  which  such  persons  can  go  and  find  a  more 
natural  home.  Besides,  they  would  not  exclude  such  persons 
from  communion  and  fellowship,  but  would  welcome  them  on 
occasions. 

Finally,  however,  if  a  church  should  think  any  case  extra- 
ordinary, and  should  choose  to  receive  such  as  cannot  subscribe 
to  our  articles,  they  should  first,  by  all  means,  take  pains  to 
instruct  them  in  the  truth,  and  to  have  good  evidence  that 
they  will  not  be  captious  nor  troublesome,  nor  tr}^  to  bring  our 
doctrines  into  disrepute;  and  they  enjoin  upon  any  ministers 
or  churches  who  may  have  failed  to  practice  and  enforce  these 
articles  of  doctrine  that  they  at  once  return  to  the  duty  of  their 
true  regard  and  observance. 

This  is  certainly  a  remarkable  deliverance.  It  ma}^  be  a 
question  as  to  how  many  of  our  presbyteries  would  adopt  it 
now,  and  how  many  of  our  churches  would  decline  to  receive 
members  who  do  not  receive  the  articles  in  the  Confession  of 
our  Faith. 

And  yet  this  deliverance  is  beautiful  for  its  consistency  and 
its  charity  throughout.  Its  spirit  would  not  differ  nmch  from 
the  minds  of  ministers  and  elders  generally  in  the  Presbyte- 
rian Church. 

These  men  of  Huron  Presbytery  would  "  hold  fast  the  form 
of  sound  words,"  and,  as  here  named  especially,  the  doctrines 
of  infant  baptism  and  election,  as  sacred  and  important  things. 
They  were  not  willing  that  their  force  should  be  weakened  for 
the  sake  of  mere  numbers.  They  were  not  willing  that  either 
of  these  doctrines  should  be  a  dead  letter  in  any  of  tlie 
churches ;  and  they  would  not  open  the  door  to  error.  They 
meant  to  hold  fast  and  to  preach  the  doctrines  of  the  Presby- 
terian Church,  including  the  doctrines  named  above.  They 
did  not  wish  to  be  trammeled  by  members  who  would  not 
receive  the  doctrines,  especially  by  such  as  were  disposed  to  be 
captious.    They  said,  with  beautiful  consistency,  there  are  other 


BAPTISM.  177 

Churches  where  such  persons  can  be  more  at  home,  and  where 
they  had  better  go ;  and  they  were  wiUing  to  fellowship  with 
such  Churches  as  Christian. 

All  this  is  simply  unquestionable  in  its  rightness  and  in  the 
exaltedness  of  its  standpoint.  Let  Churches  and  people  have 
a  creed  and  then  let  them  be  thoroughly  consistent  with  it  and 
true  to  it,  and  their  religion  will  be  of  a  higher  order.  But 
questions  "in  these  days"  do  not  often  come  up  in  just  the 
form  in  which  we  find  them  in  these  overtures.  If  they  were 
to  arise  and  to  await  a  candid  answer,  and  one  in  every  way  a 
believer  in  the  Baptist  doctrine  on  the  subject  of  baptism  were 
to  think  of  uniting  with  a  Presbyterian  church,  he  would,  in 
most  cases,  be  advised  to  go  to  a  Baptist  church  instead.  And 
if  one,  an  Arminian,  a  decided  opposer  of  Calvinism,  were  to 
think  of  uniting  with  a  Presbj^terian  church,  he,  also,  would 
in  most  cases  be  advised  to  find  a  congenial  home  in  one  of  the 
Arminian  churches. 

These  are  cases  which  are  not  likely  often  to  occur.  Such 
persons,  of  a  positive  belief,  would  most  likely  find  their  own 
place. 

The  general  rule  in  the  churches  of  Huron  Presbytery, 
however,  as  in  Presbyterian  churches  generally,  is  now  not  to 
ask  applicants  for  membership  whether  they  believe  in  this  or 
that  special  doctrine.  They  are  not  examined  upon  the 
denominational  creed.  They  may  come  in  doubt  and  com- 
parative ignorance  of  the  special  dogmas,  to  learn  them  after- 
ward. The  Confession  of  Faith,  even  that  for  years  in  use  in 
the  churches  of  this  body,  or  the  Catechism,  is  not  a  test  of 
qualification  for  membership.  The  one  thing  held  to  be 
requisite,  as  in  Apostolic  times,  is  an  evidence  of  repentance 
toward  God  and  of  faith  in  Our  Lord  Jesus  Christ.  The 
matter  of  adjustment  to  the  creed  is  allowed  to  take  care  of 
itself  or  to  be  looked  to  afterward. 

And  yet  it  is  not  for  a  moment  to  be  thought  that  the  creed 
is  of  little  moment.  The  Presbytery  and  the  denomination, 
while  liberal  in  the  reception  of  members  and  while  charitable 

12 


178  HISTORY  OF  HURON  PRESBYTERY. 

toward  other  denominations,  encouraging  the  freest  inter- 
communion and  co-operation,  yet  adheres  to  its  strictness  in 
insisting  that  its  teaching  and  governing  force,  its  ministers 
and  its  elders,  shall  be  men  only  who  can  freely  subscribe  to 
its  great  system  of  doctrine  in  whole  and  in  part. 

4.  Again,  in  1859,  an  overture  was  received  by  the  Pres- 
bytery inquiring :  "  Would  a  minister  of  the  Presbyterian 
Church  be  authorized  to  immerse  a  candidate  for  admission 
into  one  of  our  churches  when  such  candidate  believed  this  to 
be  the  only  mode?"  The  answer  to  this  overture,  without 
violating  consistency  with  any  former  utterance  of  the  Pres- 
bytery, was  given  in  the  affirmative.  It  was  so  given  on  the 
assumption  that  the  conscience  of  a  sincere  believer  might  be 
involved,  and  that  so  firmly  might  he  believe  in  immersion  as 
the  only  proper  mode  of  baptism  that  his  conscience  could 
only  thus  be  set  at  rest. 

It  is  liberality  that  will  yield  in  such  a  case  as  this  and 
authorize  the  baptism  to  be  performed  according  to  the  faith 
of  the  subject.  This  is  not  unreasonable  liberality,  and  in  a 
very  Jew  instances  the  practice  has  been  accordingly.  There 
have  been  several  cases  in  which,  in  baptism,  there  has  been 
even  more  of  a  strain  upon  the  belief  of  the  officiating  minister 
than  in  such  as  this,  here  contemplated. 

It  is  right  and  duty  to  hold  the  conscience  in  high  regard 
and  to  yield  to  its  demands  when  consistency  will  at  all  permit. 
The  doctrine  of  the  Presbytery,  and  of  the  Congregationalist 
Church  as  well,  on  the  subject  of  baptism  is  that  it  signifies 
the  baptism  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  and  that  it  is,  therefore,  Scrip- 
turally  and  most  appropriately  performed  by  the  sprinkling  or 
pouring  of  water  on  the  subject.  The  views  of  ministers  and 
people  on  this  subject  are  not  undefined  or  doubtful,  but  clear, 
fixed,  and  decided,  as  the  Scriptures  bearing  upon  the  case 
seem  to  them  most  satisfactorily  to  warrant. 

When,  therefore,  one  of  tlie  ministers  should  baptize  a  person 
by  immersion  he  could  only  do  so  by  yielding  to  the  supposed 
demands  of  the  contrary  belief  in  an  extreme  case  to  satisfy 


BAPTISM.  179 

the  conscience  of  an  honest  subject.  This  it  is  supposed  one 
may  do  in  a  peculiar  case.  There  are  two  considerations  that 
would  interfere  with  this  liberality  except  in  a  clear  case  of  the 
kind  supposed.  The  first  is  that  often  it  has  been  found,  after 
fair  testing  of  the  case  in  hand,  that  the  whole  trouble  with 
the  individual  was  one  of  prejudice  or  blind  preference,  with- 
out the  heart  or  conscience  in  its  relation  to  Christ  being 
seriously  involved.  An  honest  investigation  of  the  subject  of 
baptism  has  brought  relief,  and  sprinkling  has  been  accepted 
as  the  Scriptural  mode. 

The  other  consideration,  against  immersion  b}'-  Presbyterian 
hands,  is  the  one  generally  given,  namely,  that  if  the  person 
be  so  decidedly  a  Baptist  in  his  faith,  and  if  he  can  find  a 
Baptist  minister  to  immerse  him  and  a  Baptist  church  to  join, 
there  he  had  better  look. 

It  is  admitted,  however,  that  there  are  cases  in  which  every 
other  consideration,  aside  from  that  of  baptism,  would  urge  the 
subject  into  the  Presbyterian  Church ;  and  as  Presbyterians  do 
not  make  the  mode  of  baptism  the  essential  matter,  and  as 
they  do,  whether  consistently  or  not,  recognize  as  baptism  the 
immersion  in  water  by  a  proper  person,  of  a  proper  subject,  in 
the  name  of  the  Father,  Son,  and  Holy  Ghost,  they  may  in  a 
peculiar  case  so  administer  the  ordinance. 

Yet  we  say  that  the  Presbytery  was  consistent  with  its  own 
history  in  this  deliverance  regarding  immersion.  The  over- 
ture now  under  consideration  was  materially  different  from  the 
one  of  a  former  meeting  of  the  body  when  the  answer  was  in 
the  negative. 

Then  not  only  the  mode  was  involved,  but  also  the  question 
of  the  re-baptism  of  one  already  baptized  by  sprinkling  in 
infancy.  These  were  two  things,  and  quite  distinct.  The 
answer  in  the  one  case  might  be  in  the  affirmative.  In  the 
other  it  could  not  be  so.  When  only  the  mode  was  the  ques- 
tion, and  the  conscience  of  the  subject  seemed  to  require  it  for 
his  peace,  the  Presbytery  said,  "  The  person  may  be  immersed." 
But  when  the  subject  to  be  immersed  had  already  been  bap- 


180  HISTORY  OF  HURON  PRESBYTERY. 

tized  by  sprinkling,  recognizing  him  as  having  been  Ijorn 
within  the  pale  of  the  visible  Chiircli,  and  when  to  immerse 
him  now  would  be  to  ignore  the  sprinkling  as  null  and  void, 
and  to  ignore  the  relation  of  children  born  of  Christian  parents 
to  the  Church,  and  to  set  at  nought  God's  covenant  of  promise, 
then,  clearly,  consistency  required  the  Presbyterian  ministry  to 
say,  emphatically,  No ! 

The  ministers  and  elders  of  Huron  Presbytery  would  be 
liberal  up  to  the  last  point  of  consistency  and  a  sound  regard 
for  the  truth.  But  they  knew  when  and  where  to  stop.  They 
could  not,  for  the  sake  of  liberality,  ignore  great  underlying 
principles  of  Christian  doctrine  and  precept,  and  they  did  not. 

5.  One  more  overture  demanded  the  attention  of  the  Pres- 
bytery on  the  subject  of  baptism.  This  came  up  in  the  year 
1866.  The  question  was:  "Whether  the  baptism  of  the  chil- 
dren of  parents  who  have  made  no  profession  of  faith  in  Christ 
is  valid  ?  " 

This  was,  of  course,  answered  in  the  negative. 

Baptism,  whether  of  infant  or  adult,  is  presumed  to  mean 
something,  to  have  some  significancy. 

If  the  adult  have  no  faith  to  profess,  what  can  his  baptism 
signify  to  him  ?  If  the  infant  have  no  relation  to  the  Church,  and 
no  Christian  care  and  nurture  is  guaranteed  to  it  by  its  parents, 
what  can  its  baptism  signify  ?  And  if  the  parents  are  not 
Christians,  what  relation  can  their  child  have  to  the  Church, 
and  what  assurance  can  they  give  for  its  Christian  nurture? 
So,  even  though  some  ministers  in  some  denominations  do 
freely  administer  baptism  to  the  children  of  unchristian  pa- 
rents, yet  it  can  only  be  an  empty,  meaningless  performance, 
and  a  degrading  of  the  sacrament. 


VIII.    SLAVERY. 

We  have  seen  that  prior  to  the  excision,  as  early  as  1836, 
the  Presbytery  felt  that  the  time  had  arrived  when  they  could 
no   longer,  with  propriety,  keep  silent    on  this   subject,  and 


SLAVERY.  181 

that  they  should  insist  upon  their  right  to  discuss  its  merits 
freely ;  and  they  then  condemned  the  buying,  selling,  owning, 
bequeathing,  and  apprehending  of  a  slave  as  a  sin  and  a 
scandal,  as  also  the  keeping  of  such  persons  in  ignorance. 

This  protest  against  the  institution  was  renewed  in  1843. 

Again,  in  1846,  the  subject  is  brought  up  by  an  overture 
from  the  church  of  Bloomville. 

A  committee,  consisting  of  Rev.  E.  P.  Spery,  Rev.  M.  H. 
Wilder,  and  Mr.  John  Seymour,  reported  a  paper,  which  was 
adopted.  They  expressed  the  belief  that  the  body  had  already 
done  all  it  could  do,  without  transcending  its  authority,  for  the 
extinction  of  slavery ;  yet,  for  the  satisfaction  of  the  churches, 
and  the  more  distinctively  to  define  its  position,  they  would  add 
to  their  former  testimony  the  following : — 

"  Resolved,  1st.  That  the  sole  right  of  judging  of  the  quali- 
fication of  membership  in  our  churches  is  in  the  church  itself, 
and  Presbytery  has  no  right  to  prescribe  rules  to  limit  their 
action. 

"  2d.  That  the  past  action  of  this  body  is  a  sufficient  guar- 
anty that  the  ministers  who  hold  slaves  for  gain  cannot  be 
admitted  to  membership  in  this  body. 

"  3d.  That  so  long  as  we  bear  suitable  testimony  against  the 
sin  of  slavery,  with  the  view  this  Presbyter}^  entertains  of  the 
powers  of  the  General  Assembly,  we  do  not  regard  our  con- 
nection with  the  body  as  involving  us  in  any  justification  of 
the  sin." 

These  resolutions  were  adopted  because  there  were  those  who 
did  not  think  that  the  Presbytery  had  gone  far  enough  in  their 
opposition  to  slavery.  These  men  did  not  intend,  however,  to 
stand  in  any  doubtful  light  upon  this  subject.  They  wished 
the  churches  and  the  world  to  understand  them,  and  they 
wished  to  clear  their  own  skirts  of  all  the  sin  and  responsibil- 
ity for  the  great  evil,  and  yet  they  were  not  disposed  to  be  car- 
ried beyond  their  measure  or  to  act  unreasonably.  They  said 
plainly,  and  they  repeated  it,  that  American  slavery  is  a  great 
sin  against  God  and  a  crime  against  man.     They  said  they 


182  HISTORY  OF  HURON  FRESH YTERY. 

would  not  admit  a  selfish  slaveholder  into  tlieir  body.  But 
they  further  said  that  their  authority  was  limited  by  place  and 
circumstance.  They  could  not  shut  a  man  out  of  the  Church 
in  the  South  because  he  held  slaves,  or  for  any  other  cause. 
They  did  not  believe  tliat  the  Cleneral  Assembly  could  do  that. 
They  could  bear  their  testimony  against  the  sin  and  tlie  crime, 
and  having  done  this  openly,  they  felt  that  they  were  not  in- 
volved in  the  evil.  The  time  had  not  yet  come  for  them  to  do 
more  than  this.  , 

And  yet  in  September  of  the  very  next  3'ear,  1847,  this  sub- 
ject again  agitates  the  Presbytery.  This  time  the  wakening 
seems  to  be  greater  than  ever  before,  and  the  language  used 
shows  a  disposition  to  advance  in  the  crusade  against  what 
appears  more  than  ever  to  be  a  crime,  and  one  determined  to 
make  aggressions  in  our  land.  The  brethren  at  this  time  re- 
solved : — 

"  That  they  believed  it  to  be  tlie  duty  of  every  Christian 
organization  plainly  and  unequivocally,  yet  in  Christian  kind- 
ness, to  express  their  views  on  all  moral  subjects,  fearlessly 
exposing  and  condemning  sin,  and  sustaining  and  encouraging 
virtue. 

"  That  if  any  sinful  practice  has  so  far  prevailed  as  to  draw 
to  its  support  ministers  of  the  Gospel  or  members  of  the  visible 
Church  of  Christ,  there  is  the  greater  reason  to  cry  aloud  and 
spare  not. 

"  That,  notwithstanding  the  oft-repeated  views  of  this  Pres- 
bytery in  opposition  to  slavery,  yet,  as  the  evil  still  exists,  and 
as  efforts  are  still  made  for  its  further  extension  and  perpetuity, 
they  felt  constrained  again  to  add  their  warning  admonition 
and  reproof,  declaring — 

"  That  tliey  viewed  the  system  of  slavery,  as  it  existed  in  the 
United  States,  as  at  war  with  every  principle  of  right,  especially 
with  that  plain,  fundamental  law^  of  love, '  As  ye  would  that 
others  should  do  to  you,  do  ye  even  so  to  them.'  It  recognizes 
immortal  beings  as  property,  and  treats  them  as  articles  of 
commerce.     It  extends  over  them  a  separate  and  oppressive 


SLAVERY.  183 

code  of  laws  that  deprives  them  of  their  social  and  civil  rights, 
and  holds  them  liable  to  the  most  cruel  abuses  of  irresponsible 
power.  It  deprives  them  of  the  right  of  marriage — the  first 
civil  right  given  by  a  beneficent  God  to  man  as  the  foundation 
of  all  others.  It  deprives  them  of  all  control  over  their  own 
persons,  their  offspring,  and  the  fruit  of  their  own  labor.  It 
denies  to  them  intellectual  culture,  and  withholds  from  them 
the  gift  of  their  Heavenly  Father — the  precious  Bible.  It  de- 
nies to  them  the  right  to  worship  God  according  to  the  dictates 
of  their  own  consciences,  and  requires  unconditional  submis- 
sion to  human  will,  even  when  opposed  to  the  plain  commands 
of  God.  And  the  right  thus  to  degrade  and  oppress  a  particu- 
lar race  is  defended  upon  principles  which  would  apply  with 
equal  justice  to  any  other  portion  of  the  human  family. 

"  With  such  a  system  they  declare  they  can  have  no  sym- 
pathy ;  but  after  a  careful  examination  of  its  character  and 
effects,  and  making  every  deduction  which  the  largest  charity 
can  require,  they  were  constrained  to  regard  it  as  an  outrage 
upon  the  rights  and  happiness  of  their  fellow-men  for  which 
there  was  no  justification  or  apology.  Nor  could  they  shut 
their  eyes  to  those  far-reaching  claims  which  seek  to  subject 
the  freedom  of  speech  and  of  the  press  to  its  controlling  power, 
and  to  bring  other  portions  of  our  country  under  its  blighting 
and  withering  curse  that  have  been  hitherto  free  from  its  pol- 
luting touch. 

"  They  could,  therefore,  sustain  no  relation  and  perform  no 
act  that  would  give  countenance  to  the  system  or  imply  indif- 
ference to  its  multiplied  enormities.  Against  it,  therefore,  as  a 
mass  of  complicated  and  flagrant  wrong,  they  would  record 
and  proclaim  their  solemn  protest,  especially  against  those  per- 
versions of  the  Sacred  Oracles  by  which  it  is  attempted  to 
make  their  Divine  Author  the  patron  and  protector  of  a  system 
so  repugnant  to  their  principles  and  spirit. 

"  Entertaining  these  views  of  slavery,  and  believing  that  every 
violation  of  right  is  a  sin  against  God,  the}'',  as  members  of  the 
Presbytery,  could  not  admit  to  membership  in  the  body,  nor 


184  HISTORY  OF  HURON  PRESBYTERY. 

invite  to  their  fellowship  or  communion,  those  who  participated 
in  the  unrighteous  system." 

This  was  quite  a  step  in  advance  of  any  previous  deliver- 
ance of  this  body  on  this  subject.  It  not  only  denounced  the 
sin  of  holding  slaves,  but,  so  far  as  the  Presbytery  was  con- 
cerned, it  practically  excommunicated  the  slaveholders. 

There  were,  at  the  time,  some  men  under  the  care  of  the  New 
School  General  Assembly  who  were  in  the  South  and  were 
participants  in  this  crime,  and  the  Presbytery  said  :  "  We  can- 
not fellowship  with  them.  We  cannot  sit  with  them  at  the 
Lord's  table." 

They  did  add,  however,  to  this  sweeping  utterance  these 
words :  "  This  strong  language  is  not  intended  to  apply  to  those 
who  have  actually  and  in  good  faith  offered,  and  still  do  offer, 
liberty  to  their  slaves  upon  the  best  terms  to  the  slaves  that  the 
laws  of  the  State  where  they  live  will  permit,  and  who  are  ex- 
erting their  influence  for  the  repeal  of  the  -laws  by  which 
slavery  is  sustained." 

The  committee  who  reported  these  slashing  and  yet  most 
eloquent  resolutions  were  Rev.  E.  Cole,  Rev.  H.  C.  Dubois,  and 
Mr.  Farewell.  Their  author  is  not  named.  But  as  Mr.  Fare- 
well was  directed  to  secure  their  publication  in  the  Ohio  Ob- 
server, and  in  other  papers,  there  is  at  least  a  probability  that 
he  was  the  man. 

At  this  time  slavery  was  loudly  demanding  public  notice. 
It  was  the  national  agitation.  The  very  air  was  full  of  it.  It 
was  the  subject  of  the  school-house  debate,  and  the  national 
legislative  halls  were  resonant  with  it.  Men  everywhere  were 
warming  into  eloquence  both  for  and  against  the  system.  The 
Church  of  Jesus  could  not  if  it  would,  and  it  did  not  seek 
to  be  kept  entirely  outside  of  this  whirl  of  controversy.  Some 
did  insist  that  it  was  purely  a  political  question,  and  that 
the  pulpit'and  the  Presbytery,  or  the  Church  Council,  had  noth- 
ing to  dojwith  it.  Still,  it  would  be  heard  of,  both  from  pulpit 
and  from  Church  judicatory.  Men  full  of  the  spirit  of  Christ, 
and  knowing  well  the  reading  between  the  lines  of  His  Sacred 


SLAVERY.  185 

Word,  insisted  that  it  was  a  moral  question,  that  slavery  was  a 
sin  and  a  crime  in  which  both  the  nation  and  the  Church  were 
participating.  They  said  it  must  be  condemned,  and  that  by 
condemning  it  they  must  wash  their  hands  of  it,  or  be  guilty, 
even  though  they  were  not  the  owners  of  the  slaves.  The 
heart  of  the  nation  and  of  the  Church  was  awake,  and  there 
were  thoughts  against  the  cruel  system  of  human  bond- 
age, and  against  its  effects  on  the  families  of  the  slaveholder, 
that  would  not  down — would  not  be  quiet  until  the  questions 
then  pressing,  "  Shall  slavery  continue?"  and  "  Shall  it  extend 
to  the  new  States  and  Territories?"  were  answered  in  some 
way,  and  once  for  all.  In  these  resolutions  of  Huron  Presbytery, 
the  declarations  of  other  religious  bodies,  and  in  the  earnest 
battles  that  were  fought  from  year  to  year  in  the  General  As- 
sembly, as  well  as  in  the  utterances  of  the  press,  the  politician, 
and  the  civilian,  men  might  have  heard  with  prophetic  ear  the 
rumblings  of  the  thunder  that  became  so  loud,  so  terrible,  in 
after  years.  He  who  then  put  his  ear  to  the  ground  might 
have  heard  the  tramp  of  the  oncoming  legions  of  carnage  and 
death.  He  might  have  lifted  his  eyes  to  see  the  rising  of  that 
cloud  that  became  afterward  so  dense  and  so  full  of  woes  to 
the  whole  nation.  Yes,  that  sin  of  slavery  was  the  crime  of 
the  nation,  and  the  skirts  of  the  Church  had  not  been  clear  of  it, 
and  it  must  be  visited  upon  us  as  a  people. 

It  was  only  three  and  a  half  years  after  this  utterance  by  the 
Presbytery  that  the  Sandusky  Congregational  Church  declared 
its  withdrawal  from  the  body  "  because  of  its  connection  with 
slavery."  As  we  have  noted,  that  church  had  asked  the  Presby- 
tery to  memorialize  the  Assembly  regarding  this  evil.  The 
Presbytery  had  responded,  requesting  the  General  Assembly 
to  advise  all  the  Presbyteries  connected  with  it  to  institute  a 
thorough  examination  of  all  the  churches  under  their  care, 
respectively,  considering  the  ownership  of  slaves  as  prima  facie 
evidence  of  wrong  until  proof  of  innocence  is  furnished,  and 
to  exercise  discipline  with  all  such  members  as  are  found  guilty 
of  the  sin.     AVith  this  expression  of  the  Presbytery,  in  addition 


186  HISTORY  OF  HURON  PRESBYTERY. 

to  what  had  been  previously  given  on  this  subject,  before  it, 
the  church  still  withdrew,  feeling  that  not  enough  had  been 
done.  The  trouble  may,  however,  have  been  with  the  Assem- 
bly rather  than  with  the  Presbytery. 

But  the  Presbytery  was  not  yet  done  with  this  question. 
Almost  yearly  there  was  something  to  be  said  upon  it  until  in 
1857,  when  it  seems  specially  to  press  upon  their  attention.  It 
has  been  said  b}'^  some  one  "  that  no  question  is  settled  till  it  is 
settled  right."  This  was  surely  true  of  the  question  of  slavery, 
and  we  are  not  surprised  to  find  discussions  and  resolutions 
upon  it  frequently  as  the  years  come  and  go. 

In  April,  1854,  a  commuuication  was  received  from  the 
Presbytery  of  Winchester,  Va.,  in  regard  to  memorializing  the 
Assembly  on  this  subject.  The  Winchester  Presbytery  were 
opposed  to  the  Assembly's  taking  any  further  action  upon  this 
vexed  question.  They  believed  that  it  had  no  i:)Ower  in  the 
matter,  and  they  sought  to  prevent  any  further  unacceptable 
deliverances  by  that  body.  They  had,  therefore,  sought  to 
influence  Northern  Presbyteries,  before  the  meeting  of  the 
Assembly,  in  this  direction. 

The  Presbytery  of  Huron  were  not  in  sj^mpathy  with  the 
Winchester  brethren  in  this  regard.  They  gave  them  a  courte- 
ous answer,  declining  to  join  hands  with  them,  and  indicating 
that  they  might  even  take  the  opposite  course.  They  said  that 
they  had  not  moved  the  General  Assembly  to  its  actions  on  this 
subject ;  but  that,  as  things  were  then,  all  considered,  especially 
in  view  of  recent  developments  in  Congress,  they  were  not  pre- 
pared to  forestall  all  future  action,  or  to  indicate  what  the  future 
course  of  the  Assembly  ought  to  be. 

The  eyes  of  these  ministers  and  laymen  were  upon  the 
national  legislature,  upon  the  movements  of  the  South,  and 
upon  the  developments  of  Providence ;  and  it  might  ere  long 
be  the  thing  for  the  General  Assembly  to  do,  to  speak  out  in 
stronger  words  than  ever  before  against  this  evil  and  against 
its  upholders. 

To  this  conclusion,  onl}-  three  years  later,  in  1857,  they  did 


SLAVERY.  187 

come,  and  instead  of  seeking,  according  to  the  will  of  the 
Southern  Presbytery,  to  restrain  the  action  of  the  Assembly, 
they  sent  up  to  that  body  an  earnest  and  clear-cut  overture? 
calling  upon  it  for  most  decisive  action. 

This  overture  is  in  keeping  with  all  the  other  declarations  of 
this  Presbytery  upon  this  subject,  only  being  more  advanced, 
as  the  times  seemed  to  demand.  And  as  it  is  their  last  special 
deliverance  upon  the  subject  we  feel  that  it  should  be  pre- 
served in  its  entirety  upon  the  pages  of  this  chronicle.  It  is 
as  follows : — 

MEMORIAL  TO  THE  GENERAL  ASSEMBLY. 

"  Dear  Brethren :  In  memorializing  your  body  on  the  subject 
of  slavery,  we  beg  leave  to  submit  the  following  facts  and  con- 
siderations : — 

"  1.  The  General  Assembly  nearly  forty  years  ago  bore  the 
most  decided  testimony  against  the  system  of  American  slavery. 
The  well-known  action  of  1818  declares  that  the  voluntary 
enslaving  of  one  part  of  the  human  race  by  another  is  a  gross 
violation  of  the  most  precious  and  sacred  rights  of  human 
nature  ;  it  is  utterly  inconsistent  with  the  law  of  God,  which 
requires  us  to  love  our  neighbor  as  ourselves,  and  is  totally  irre- 
concilable with  the  spirit  and  principles  of  the  Gospel  of  Christ. 
It  also  affirms  that  it  is  manifestly  the  duty  of  all  Christians 
who  enjoy  the  light  of  the  present  day,  when  the  inconsistency 
of  slavery  both  with  the  dictates  of  humanity  and  religion 
has  been  demonstrated  and  is  generally  seen  and  acknowl- 
edged, to  use  their  most  earnest  and  undivided  endeavors  to 
correct  the  errors  of  former  times,  and  as  speedily  as  possible 
to  efface  this  blot  on  our  holy  religion  and  to  obtain  the  com- 
plete abolition  of  slavery  throughout  Christendom,  and,  if 
possible,  throughout  the  world. 

"  2.  Since  the  division  of  the  Church,  in  1837,  the  subject 
has  been  repeatedly  and  fully  discussed  in  the  General  Assem- 
blies, and  the  conclusions  reached  in  each  case  have  been  in 
entire  harmony  with  these  principles.     The  course  uniformly 


188  HISTORY  OF  HURON  PRESBYTERY. 

pursued  has  been  but  the  proper  carrying  out  of  them  so  far  as 
was  deemed  practicable. 

"  3.  The  means  used  by  the  Assembly  have  hitherto  been 
advisory  and  hortative.  It  has  borne  explicit  and  frequent 
testimony  against  the  evil,  and  has  exhorted  all  the  slaveholders 
within  its  communion  to  cease  from  this  sin.  For  almost  twenty 
years  it  has  exercised  its  advisory  function  against  this  evil  as 
it  has  against  no  other,  and  yet  the  evil  remains  without 
abatement. 

"  4.  In  order  not  to  confound  the  righteous  with  the  wicked 
in  their  condemnation  of  American  slavery,  the  Assembly,  in 
1850,  carefully  drew  the  line  between  lawful  and  unlawful 
slaveholding,  declaring  the  former  to  be  that  which  was  ren- 
dered unavoidable  by  the  laws  of  the  State,  the  obligations  of 
guardianship,  and  the  demands  of  humanity  ;  all  other  kinds 
to  be  unlawful  and  wicked,  and  deserving  of  ecclesiastical  cen- 
sure as  any  other  crime. 

"  5.  At  the  Assembly  of  1853  a  report  of  a  committee  on 
slavery  was  adopted,  in  which  is  the  following  passage :  '  To 
correct  misapprehensions  which  may  exist  in  many  Northern 
minds,  and  to  allay  causeless  irritation  by  having  the  real  facts 
in  relation  to  this  subject  spread  before  the  whole  Church,  it  is 
recommended  earnestly  to  request  the  Presbyteries  in  each  of 
the  slaveholding  States  to  take  such  measures  as  may  seem  to 
them  most  expedient  and  proper  for  laying  before  the  next 
Assembly,  in  its  sessions  at  Philadelphia,  distinct  and  full 
statements  touching  the  following  points : — 

"  '  1st.  The  number  of  slaveholders  in  communion  with  the 
churches  under  their  jurisdiction,  and  the  number  of  slaves 
held  by  them. 

" '  2d.  The  extent  to  which  slaves  are  held  by  unavoidable 
necessity,  enforced  by  the  laws  of  the  State,  the  obligations  of 
guardianship,  and  the  demands  of  humanity. 

"  '  3d.  Whether  a  practical  regard,  such  as  the  Word  of  God 
requires,  is  evinced  by  the  Southern  churches  for  the  sacred- 
ness   of  the   conjugal   and   parental   relations   as   they   exist 


SLAVERY.  189 

among  the  slaves ;  whether  baptism  is  duly  administered  to 
the  slaves  professing  Christianit}' ;  whether  slaves  are  admitted 
to  equal  privileges  and  powers  in  the  Church  courts ;  and,  in 
general,  to  what  extent  and  in  what  manner  provision  is  made 
for  the  religious  well-being  of  the  enslaved.' 

"  6.  To  this  reasonable  request  the  Southern  Presbyteries 
refused  to  respond.  Some  of  them,  as  that  of  Winchester,  not 
only  refused  to  give  the  desired  information,  but  demanded 
silence  on  the  subject  of  slavery  as  the  condition  of  remaining 
connected  with  the  Assembly. 

"  7.  Slaveholders  to  a  great  extent  avow  their  determination 
to  hold  on  to  the  system,  accepting  it  as  it  is,  with  all  its  evils 
justifying  it  as  authorized  by  the  Bible,  claiming  that,  like  the 
relation  of  husband  and  wife,  and  parent  and  child,  it  is  wrong, 
not  as  a  relation  or  as  an  institution,  but  in  its  abuses.  (See 
speeches  of  Messrs.  Ross,  Boyd,  Holly,  and  Read,  in  the  General 
Assembly  of  1856,  and  the  letters  of  Ross  to  Barnes.) 

"  8.  The  General  Assembly  of  1856  clearly  pointed  out  the 
method  by  which  slaveholding,  so  far  as  it  is  sinful,  can  be 
constitutionally  reached,  and  the  slaveholder  subjected  to  dis- 
cipline. 

"  9.  The  conviction  is  deepening  in  the  community,  and  is 
intensified  by  the  events  now  occurring,  that  the  Church  in  all 
its  branches  should  rid  itself  as  soon  as  possible  of  all  connec- 
tion with  slavery,  which  the  highest  judicatory  of  the  Church 
has  pronounced  sinful.  It  is  the  solemn  belief  of  an  increasing 
number  of  judicious  men,  who  have  hitherto  forborne  to  urge 
the  subject  on  the  Assembly,  that  the  time  has  come  when  the 
constitutional  power  of  the  Assembly  should  be  authoritatively 
used  in  the  removal  of  this  sin  from  the  Church. 

"We  therefore  respectfully  and  earnestly  request  of  the 
Assembly  that  they  proceed  forthwith  to  exercise  their  power 
in  reference  to  this  subject,  according  to  the  method  pointed 
out  in  the  Book  of  Discipline,  Chapter  VII,  Section  1,  Articles 
5  and  6,  and  in  conformity  with  the  majority  report  adopted  at 
New  York  in  1856." 


190  HISTORY  OF  HURON  PRESBYTERY. 

Such  was  the  memorial  sent  up  to  the  General  Assembly 
from  this  comparatively  small  body  of  ministers  and  elders. 
The  name  of  the  author  who  penned  it  is  not  given,  but  it  was 
evidently  a  man  with  a  clear  head  and  an  earnest  mind  and 
heart. 

The  General  Assembly,  which  met  in  Cleveland,  Ohio,  only 
a  few  weeks  afterward,  did  adopt  a  strong  and  somewhat 
lengthy  paper  on  this  subject.  It  was  largely  in  accord  with 
the  sentiment  of  Huron  Presbytery.  Against  it  the  Southern 
ministers  and  elders,  to  the  number  of  twenty-two,  offered  a 
protest.  They  protested,  they  said,  "  because,  while  past 
Assemblies  had  asserted  that  the  system  of  slavery  was  wrong, 
they  had  heretofore  affirmed  that  the  slaveholder  was  so  con- 
trolled by  State  laws,  obligations  of  guardianship,  and  humanity 
that  he  was,  as  thus  situated,  without  censure  or  odium  as  the 
master.  This  averment  in  the  testimony  of  past  Assemblies 
had  so  far  satisfied  the  South  as  to  make  it  unnecessary  to  do 
more  than  protest  against  the  anti-slavery  part  of  such 
testimony." 

But  they  protested  now,  "that  the  present  act  of  the 
Assembly  was  such  an  assertion  of  the  sin  of  slavery  as 
degraded  the  whole  Southern  Church — an  assertion  without 
authority  from  the  AVord  of  God  or  the  organic  law  of  the 
Presbyterian  body." 

They  protested  "  that  such  action  was,  under  the  then  present 
conditions,  the  virtual  excsinding  of  the  South,  whatever  the 
motives  of  those  who  voted  the  deed." 

They  regarded  "  the  action  as  unrighteous,  oppressive,  un- 
called for,  the  exercise  of  usurped  power,  destructive  to  the 
unity  of  their  branch  of  the  Church,  hurtful  to  the  North  and 
to  the  South,  and  adding  to  the  peril  of  the  Union  of  these 
United  States." 

Such  were  the  facts  that  followed  this  memorial  of  the  Pres- 
bytery to  the  Assembly. 

In  reading  the  memorial  it  is  to  be  borne  in  mind  that  just 
at  that  time,  from  1854  to  1860,  and  before,  the  South  was 


SLAVERY.  191 

bending  all  her  energies  to  extend  her  dreadful  system.  The 
effect  of  the  Abolition  agitation  had  been  to  break  up  the  old 
Whig  party  in  politics.  That  party  had  been  too  slow  in  its 
movements  toward  any  relief  of  the  slave  in  his  cruel  bondage. 
As  a  party  it  was  not  in  favor  of  abolition.  It,  at  best,  would 
regulate  and  prevent  the  extension  of  the  evil  thing.  But 
most  of  the  Abolitionists  had  come  out  of  that  party,  and  men 
had  continued  to  come  out  of  it  until  the  party  had  become 
powerless.  The  Republican  party  was  organized  as  the  result. 
It  was  more  decided  as  against  the  slave  system,  and  yet  it  was 
not  committed  to  abolition.  It  served,  however,  to  draw  the 
lines  more  sharply  between  the  friends  and  the  foes  of  slavery. 

It  was  composed  of  Whigs,  Free-soilers,  and  some  former 
Democrats  who  opposed  the  further  extension  of  slavery.  The 
Buchanan  and  Fremont  Presidential  campaign  was  one  of  the 
warmest  in  the  nation's  history,  resulting  in  the  election  of  Mr. 
Buchanan,  he  receiving  174  electoral  votes  from  nineteen  States, 
while  Mr.  Fremont  received  114  votes  from  eleven  States — one 
State  voting  for  Mr.  Fillmore,  the  candidate  of  the  "  Know 
Nothing  "  party. 

The  Kansas-Nebraska  Bill  had  become  a  law,  giving  the 
majority  of  the  j)eople  in  each  Territory  the  right  to  say  whether 
they  should  enter  the  Union  as  a  free  or  as  a  slave  State.  This 
bill  disregarded  the  Missouri  Compromise,  which  had  pro- 
hibited the  extension  of  slavery  to  any  Territory  of  the  United 
States  north  of  36°  30',  north  latitude. 

Then  had  begun  the  rush  of  parties  to  get  first  control  of  the 
lands.  Multitudes  poured  into  Kansas  especially,  from  Mis- 
souri on  the  one  hand  and  from  the  New  England  States 
largely  on  the  other.  The  first  party  were  determined  to  make 
Kansas  a  slave  State,  the  other  as  determined  to  make  it  free. 
The  result  was  a  fearful  state  of  things — the  outbreak  of  civil 
war,  the  loss  of  lives,  and  the  agitation  of  the  whole  land.  It 
was  evident  that  the  question  of  the  abolition  or  the  extension 
of  slavery  was  reaching  the  point  of  culmination. 

The  Republican  party,  which  had  been  formed  as  the  result, 


192  HISTORY  OF  HURON  PRESBYTERY. 

directly,  of  the  Kansas-Nebraska  Bill,  was  defeated  in  1856; 
but  it  had  four  years  in  which  to  prepare  for  the  contest  in 
18G0.  These  were  years  full  of  interest,  and  big  with  results 
to  our  nation. 

In  the  midst  of  this  storm  of  agitation  Huron  Presbytery 
was  a  wakeful  and  watchful  observer.  The  ministers  and 
elders,  and  the  people,  too,  were  ready  to  speak  and  to  act  as 
conscience  and  the  love  of  God  and  humanity  dictated.  Occu- 
pying the  western  part  of  the  Western  Reserve,  this  body  was 
right  upon  the  line  through  which  many  a  hunted  slave  made 
his  escape  from  his  bondage,  and  sometimes  these  good  people 
knew  what  was  transpiring.  Every  man  in  the  Presbytery 
saw  and  felt  in  his  heart  of  hearts  the  galling  injustice  of  the 
Fugitive  Slave  Law,  and  with  all  his  soul  he  resented  it.  Not 
one  was  willing  to  be  directly  or  indirectly  chargeable  with 
any  part  of  the  blame  of  the  terrible  crime  of  American 
slavery. 

The  scenes  which  were  being  transacted  over  the  land 
spurred  them  on  to  speak  aloud  and  to  act ;  and  they  were  a 
unit.  In  some  of  the  presbyteries  and  in  the  General  Assem- 
bly there  were  differences  and  divisions.  There  were,  as  we 
have  seen,  even  Southern  presbyteries  represented  in  the  As- 
sembly, participants  in  the  sin  and  crime,  wdio  threatened  to 
abandon  the  Assembly  unless  they  were  left  undisturbed  in 
their  possessions.  And  there  were  Northern  presbyteries  and 
churches  over  which  division  and  ruin  seemed  to  hover  because 
of  this  raging  conflict.  Not  so,  however,  was  it  with  Huron 
Presbytery,  or,  so  far  as  we  can  learn,  with  any  of  her  churches. 
Here  there  was  unity,  earnestness,  and  the  deep  feeling  of 
humanity  toward  the  downtrodden,  and  withal  there  was 
wisdom. 

The  words  of  Dr.  Newton  are  full  of  justification  in  view  of 
every  recorded  utterance  of  this  body  on  this  subject,  and  in 
view  of  their  last  intensely  earnest  and  advanced  deliverance 
in  the  midst  of  this  most  exciting  time.  He  says :  "  Though 
this  decided  anti-slavery  feeling  pervaded  the  churches  of  the 


THE  PLAN  OF  UNION  AND  THE  HOME  3fISSI0N  SOCIETY.   193 

Presbytery,  they  were  saved  from  that  extravagant  course  of 
measures  by  which  so  many  at  the  North  were  divided  and 
ruined."  And  he  adds :  "  The  wheels  of  Providence  were  mov- 
ing forward  with  accelerated  motion.  In  four  years  and  six 
days  from  the  time  of  this  last  deliverance  the  booming  cannon 
that  opened  on  Fort  Sumter  sounded  the  knell  of  American 
slavery." 


IX.    THE  PLAN  OF  UNION  AND  THE  AMERICAN  HOME 
MISSIONARY  SOCIETY. 

Again,  in  1853,  the  Plan  of  Union  and  the  steadfastness  of 
the  Presbytery  to  it  received  another  test. 

The  General  Assembly  had  been  co-operating  in  all  its  home 
missionary  work  with  the  above-named  Society.  This  was  a 
voluntary  Society,  and  in  no  way  responsible  to  the  General 
Assembly,  and  it  was  found  by  experience  that  an  important 
part  of  the  work  of  cliurch  extension,  which  belonged  to  the 
Assembly  and  the  presbyteries,  could  not  be  reached  by  an 
agency  in  common  with  another  denomination.  A  similar 
feeling  existed  in  regard  to  the  foreign  mission  work  and 
the  American  Board  of  Foreign  Missions.  There  was  a  desire 
in  the  minds  of  some,  and  growing,  that  the  home  missionary 
work  should  be  managed  through  the  Assembly's  own  organi- 
zations, and  that  such  work  should  be  regarded  as  among  their 
own  legitimate  and  necessary  functions.  The  result  was  that, 
with  a  desire  and  purpose  still  to  co-operate  with  the  American 
Home  Missionary  Society,  the  Assembly  organized  its  own 
Church  Extension  Committee.  The  object  of  this  Committee 
was  to  develop  the  interests  of  Presbyterianism,  and  to  afford 
relief  to  missionaries  that  could  not  be  afforded  under  the  co- 
operative rules  of  the  American  Society. 

The  Assembly  then  called  upon  the  churches  connected  with 
it  to  contribute  to  the  work  of  the  Committee.  Such  a  call 
came  to  Huron  Presbytery.  It  was  understood  to  be  a  call  for 
contributions  to  aid,  especially,  in  the  direction  of  Presbyterian 

13 


194  HISTORY  OF  HURON  PRESBYTERY. 

effort  and  growtli.  It  was  not  so  designed,  yet  it  proved  to  be 
a  test  of  a  peculiar  nature  upon  some  of  the  churches.  The 
Presbytery  felt  this  to  be  so,  and  also  felt  that  the  condi- 
tions and  the  obligations  that  had  rested  upon  and  governed 
them  for  so  long  were  not  to  be  lightly  regarded.  They,  there- 
fore, said,  in  reply  to  the  action  of  the  Assembly,  "  that,  in 
view  of  their  present  ecclesiastical  relations,  or  of  the  Plan  of 
Union  between  Presbyterians  and  Congregationalists,  they 
deem  it  inexpedient  to  recommend  any  measures  which  will 
tend  exclusively  to  benefit  either  of  these  denominations." 

The  relation  of  the  ministers  and  churches  of  the  Western 
Reserve  to  the  Plan  of  Union  must,  at  times,  have  been  some- 
what trying  to  some  of  them,  as  it  imposed  on  them  a  restraint 
forbidding  denominational  development,  while  the}''  had  their 
denominational  preference.  That  was  so  in  regard  to  mission- 
ary operations  and  contributions.  Yet  Huron  Presbytery  aimed 
to  hold  steadfastly  to  both  the  Plan  of  Union  and  the  General 
Assembly. 

A  proposition  had  been  made  in  the  Synod  of  Western 
Reserve  to  withdraw  from  the  General  Assembly  and  to  become 
an  independent  body.  The  reasons  for  this  proposition  do 
not  appear,  but  it  may  be  safely  presumed  that  it  resulted  from 
dissatisfaction  in  the  Assembly  in  consequence  of  some  effect 
of  the  Plan  of  Union,  and  it  may  be  presumed,  also,  that  the 
proposition  had  more  Congregationalist  than  Presbyterian  sup- 
porters. Be  that  as  it  may,  the  Presbytery  of  Huron  expressed 
itself  as  decidedly  opposed  to  any  such  measure.  This  body  was 
strongly  Presbyterian,  and  was  becoming  more  and  more  so  as 
the  churches  tliat  were  strongly  Congregational  were  dropping 
off  to  the  Association.  The  ministers  and  churches  were  not 
willing  to  separate  from  the  Assembly,  and  yet  they  were 
closely  scrupulous  not  to  do  anything  in  violation  of  that 
arrangement  upon  the  basis  of  which  the  churches  and  the 
Presbytery  had  been  organized.  They,  therefore,  felt  that  they 
could  not  recommend  for  special  contributions  the  work  of  the 
Presbyterian  Church  Extension  Committee.     In  this  there  was 


THE  PLAN  OF  UNION  AND  THE  HOME  MISSION  SOCIETY.    195 

a  consistency,  and  a  consistency  of  purpose,  which  continued 
even  after  all  obligation  to  Congregationalism  had  ceased. 
They  awaited  the  time  when,  in  the  clear  providence  of  God,  such 
relief  would  come  that  they  could  without  restraint  devote 
their  gifts  and  energies  more  in  the  direction  of  denominational 
development,  both  at  home  and  abroad. 

It  is  important,  in  the  meantime,  that  we  keep  in  view  the 
exact  relation  of  the  Presbytery  to  the  Home  Missionary 
Society.  This  body  was  from  its  organization  interested  in  home 
missions.  At  first,  and  before  its  organization,  the  region  under 
its  care  was  missionary  ground.  Then  the  interest  was  mainly 
receptive.  The  churches  were  aided.  They  were  founded  and 
for  some  years  supported  mainly  by  the  Missionary  Society  of 
Connecticut. 

In  1824  the  Western  Reserve  Domestic  Missionary  Society 
was  organized.  Its  object  was  to  conduct  missionary  opera- 
tions on  the  territory  covered  by  the  Western  Reserve  Synod. 
In  1826  the  American  Home  Missionary  Society  was  formed, 
and  in  1830  the  Western  Reserve  Society  united  with  it.  From 
it  aid  was  received,  and  to  it  the  contributions  of  the  churches 
were  given.  The  vital  interests  of  the  Presbytery  were,  there- 
fore, bound  up,  to  a  great  extent,  in  the  Society.  There  was  a 
feeling  of  obligation,  and  through  all  the  difficulties  of  an 
ecclesiastical  nature  which  retarded  the  operations  of  this  Soci- 
ety the  Presbytery  ever  manifested  sympathy  with  it  and  a 
strong  desire  and  purpose  to  stand  by  it. 

But,  as  difficulties  had  manifested  themselves  under  the  As- 
sembly, before  the  excision,  from  1831  or  1832  and  onward,  in 
the  way  of  dissatisfaction  with  this  Society  because  of  its  volun- 
tary nature  and  its  relation  to  the  two  bodies,  and  its  being 
in  no  way  responsible  to  the  Assembly,  so  similar  difficulties 
eventually  arose  under  the  New  School  Assembly,  growing  out 
of  this  same  double  relation  of  the  Society  and  the  fact  that 
much  of  the  Assembly's  denominational  work  could  not  be 
done  through  it.  The  first  evidence  of  this  found  in  the 
records  of  the  Presbytery  was,  as  seen  above,  in  1853. 


196  HISTORY  OF  HURON  PRESBYTERY. 

But,  again,  in  1859  the  attention  of  this  body  was  called  to 
the  matter  of  church  extension  in  such  a  way  as  to  involve  the 
interests  of  the  Missionary  Society. 

In  the  Assembly  of  that  year  a  committee  report  was  adopted 
in  which  we  find  these  sentences :  "  The  number  and  magni- 
tude of  the  cases  for  which  the  American  Home  Missionary 
Society  cannot  or  does  not  provide  make  it  imperative  upon  us 
largely  to  swell  our  contribution  to  the  church  extension  scheme. 

"  The  Presbyteries  of  Alton,  Bloomington,  and  Chicago  com- 
plain of  the  action  of  the  American  Home  Missionary  Society 
in  withholding  appropriations  from  churches  connected  with 
presbyteries  that  employ  exploring  agents  without  the  commis- 
sion of  the  American  Home  Missionary  Society,  and  from  such 
as  are  connected  with  presbyteries  the  churches  of  which  do 
not  contribute  to  the  full  measure  of  their  ability  to  the  treas- 
ury of  the  Society." 

The  American  Society  had  explained  that  the  principles  by 
which  it  was  governed  made  such  action  on  their  part  neces- 
sary. The  Assembly  regarded  the  explanation  as  a  denial  of 
the  right  of  presbyteries  to  appoint  on  their  own  authority  one 
or  more  exploring  missionaries  within  their  bounds,  and  as  an 
assertion  that  it  was  a  sufficient  reason  why  the  Society  should 
withhold  aid  from  the  feeble  churches  of  a  presbytery,  that 
other  churches  of  that  presbytery  did  not  contribute  to  the 
Society  to  the  full  measure  of  their  ability. 

The  result  was  that  the  Assembly  adopted  the  following 
paper : — 

"  Whereas,  The  Presbj^terian  Church  in  the  United  States 
of  America,  represented  in  this  General  Assembly,  has  hitherto 
prosecuted  the  work  of  domestic  missions  principally  through 
the  agency  of  the  American  Home  Missionary  Society ;  and 

"  Whereas,  Complaints  have  been  made  to  the  Assembly  from 
year  to  year,  and  with  increasing  earnestness,  of  the  mode  in 
which  that  agency  has  been  conducted,  particularly  in  the 
Western  and  Northwestern  States  and  Territories ;  therefore 

Resolved;  That  a  commission  is  hereby  raised,  consisting  of 


THE  PLAN  OF  UNION  AND  THE  HOME  MISSION  SOCIETY.    197 

Rev.  Jonathan  F.  Stearns,  d.d.,  and  ten  others  (whose  names 
are  given)  to  ascertain  by  a  thorough  investigation  the  facts  in 
the  case  and  to  procure  such  other  information  as  ma}^  be  in 
their  power  relating  to  the  history  of  our  connection  with  the 
work  of  home  missions  and  our  present  relations  to  it,  also  to 
learn  the  principles  and  modes  of  administration  of  the 
American  Home  Mission  Society  over  the  entire  field  of  its 
operations,  and  to  submit  the  whole,  well  authenticated,  to  the 
next  General  Assembly." 

Upon  this  action  of  the  Assembl}^  the  Presbytery  of  Huron, 
still  true  to  its  old  affection  and  purpose,  recommended  to  the 
churches  to  contribute  to  the  American  Home  Missionary 
Society  as  heretofore,  and  at  the  same  time  to  aid  the  church 
extension  movement  according  to  their  ability.  This  action 
would  cut  them  off  from  aid  from  the  American  Society 
according  to  its  principles  of  government,  because  it  required 
as  a  condition  of  aiding  any  church  in  any  presbytery  that 
the  presbytery  contribute  to  it  all  that  its  churches  gave  to 
home  missions. 

It  is  quite  evident  that  the  ecclesiastical  harness  was  rubbing 
somewhat,  and  that  the  Presbytery  was  trying  to  do  two  things 
— to  be  true  and  loyal  to  two  sides.  This  state  of  things  could 
hardly  last  very  long.  There  was  trouble  in  the  air.  The 
brethren  were  already  feeling  it.  But  they  would  not  cross 
the  bridge  till  they  came  to  it. 

They  came  to  it,  or  it  came  to  them,  on  the  16th  of  October, 
1859,  though  it  required  two  years  to  cross  it.  At  that  date,  at 
a  meeting  of  the  body  during  the  session  of  the  Synod  at 
Elyria,  a  communication  was  received  from  Rev.  D.  H.  Allen, 
D.D.,  on  the  part  of  the  commission  appointed  b}''  the  General 
Assembly,  containing  the  following  significant  inquiries : — 

"  1.  Have  there  occurred  within  your  bounds  any  causes  of 
complaint  in  respect  to  the  Home  Missionary  Society,  as  having 
failed  to  act  with  entire  impartiality  toward  the  two  denomina- 
tions interested  in  that  Society  ?     If  so,  please  state  the  case  or 


198  HISTORY  OF  HURON  PRESBYTERY. 

cases  in  full,  with  such  evidence  as  would  be  necessary  to 
establish  the  facts  in  an  ecclesiastical  court. 

"  2.  Are  there  any  reasons  in  the  action  of  the  rules  of  the 
Society  in  your  bounds  why  the  system  of  co-operation  between 
us  and  the  Congregationalists  should  be  either  modified  or 
abandoned  ?     If  so,  what  are  they  ?  " 

These  inquiries  indicate  that  such  was  the  state  of  the  case, 
as  between  the  two  denominations  in  relation  to  the  Missionary 
Society,  that  the  time  had  about  arrived  when  it  would  be  best 
to  dissolve  the  relation,  and  that  each  should  prosecute  its 
missionary  operations  on  its  own  independent  basis  and  sup- 
ported by  its  own  churches.  Two  cannot  walk  together  after 
they  have  ceased  to  agree.  To  both  of  the  above  inquiries, 
however,  the  Presbytery  gave  to  Dr.  Allen  a  negative  reply. 

But  just  two  years  later,  in  1861,  at  a  meeting  held  during 
the  sessions  of  Synod  at  Norwalk,  a  full  and  satisfactory  answer 
to  both  questions  was  given  ;  and  at  the  same  time  the  final 
action  of  the  Presbytery  was  taken  in  relation  to  the  American 
Home  Missionary  Society,  and  that  relation  was  dissolved. 

In  the  meantime,  between  the  meetings  of  the  Presbytery 
in  1859  and  1861,  the  General  Assembly  had  decided  upon  its 
own  plan  of  missionary  operations,  and  the  question  became 
one  of  loyalty  or  disloyalty  to  the  Assembly  and  to  the  Pres- 
byterian Church.  There  was  but  one  step  to  take  to  cross  the 
stream,  and  it  was  taken.  A  committee  had  been  appointed  in 
this  attitude  of  affairs  to  suggest  a  suitable  action  for  the  body 
to  take.  This  committee,  consisting  of  Rev.  E.  Conger,  Rev. 
A.  Newton,  and  Elder  James  Boyd,  made  their  report,  which 
was  adopted,  in  which  the  old  relation  was  given  up  and  the 
plan  of  missionary  operations  recommended  by  the  Assembly 
to  the  churches  under  its  care  was  adopted. 

In  this  final  action  of  the  Presbytery  upon  this  subject  there 
is  exhibited  a  noble.  Christian  spirit,  as  so  kindly  and  gratefully 
they  recognize  the  relations  and  helps  of  the  past,  and  then  fall 
into  line,  as  the  way  was  now  clear,  with  the  more  decided 


THE  PLAN  OF  UNION  AND  THE  HOME  MISSION  SOCIETY.    199 

Presbyterian  polity  and  work  in  efforts  to  be  made  in  the  ex- 
tension of  the  Kingdom  of  our  Lord  and  Saviour  in  this  land. 

They  say : — 

"  Resolved,  1.  That  we  acknowledge,  with  gratitude  to  God, 
our  obligations  to  the  American  Home  Missionary  Society  for 
the  assistance  it  has  rendered  to  our  feeble  churches,  nearly 
all  of  which  have  been  aided  by  this  noble  institution. 

"  2.  That  during  the  whole  period  of  its  connection  with  our 
churches  it  has  dealt  out  its  benefactions  with  an  impartial 
hand ;  and  that  we  have  never  had  the  least  occasion  to  com- 
plain of  any  action  of  the  Society  within  our  bounds  as  a  reason 
why  the  system  of  co-operation  should  be  abandoned. 

"  3.  Nevertheless,  since  difficulties  have  arisen  between  this 
Society  and  some  of  our  presbyteries  and  churches  at  the  West, 
and  since  these  difficulties  have  increased  every  year,  rendering 
co-operation  more  difficult,  and  since  a  majority  in  both  de- 
nominations seem  to  think  a  separation  desirable,  and,  finally, 
since  the  General  Assembly  has  devised  and  matured  a  plan 
for  conducting  home  missions  within  its  own  bounds  and  by 
its  own  independent  action,  it  is  desirable  that  our  churches 
should  conform  to  this  in  their  home  missionary''  operations. 
We  think  this  course  may  be  taken  without  any  hostility  to  our 
Congregational  brethren,  with  whom  we  are  so  closely  bound 
by  doctrinal  views  and  historical  associations,  and  in  whose 
prosperity  we  shall  ever  rejoice. 

"  4.  That  while  we  recommend  the  adoption  of  the  Assem- 
bly's plan  to  all  our  churches,  we  wish  each  church  and  each 
individual  to  act  with  perfect  freedom  as  to  the  direction  of 
funds  contributed  to  the  cause  of  home  missions." 

Thus  ended,  in  the  most  Christ-like  spirit,  the  relation  of 
Huron  Presbytery  with  the  Society  of  Home  Missions,  that 
had  been  conducted  so  long  conjointly  by  the  Presbyterian  and 
Congregationalist  bodies. 


200  HISTORY  OF  HURON  PRESBYTERY. 

X.     EDUCATION    FOR    THE    MINISTRY. 

At  the  same  meeting  of  the  Presbytery  in  Norwalk,  the  body 
decided  that  they  would  in  future  also  conform,  in  their  opera- 
tions for  education  for  the  ministr}',  to  the  plan  indicated  by 
the  Assembly  for  that  purpose. 

We  have  already  noticed  that  in  1828  the  want  of  an  in- 
creased number  of  properly  qualified  ministers  of  the  Gospel 
was  felt.  The  increase  of  the  population  and  the  general  religious 
destitution  awakened  the  feeling  that  vigorous  efforts  should 
be  put  forth  to  secure  the  increase.  And  Huron  Presbytery  then 
determined  to  support  at  least  one  beneficiary  in  the  course  of 
education  for  the  ministr}^,  provided  one  of  approved  character 
and  talents,  needing  assistance,  could  be  found  within  the 
Presby  terial  limits.  A  committee  was  appointed  to  look  after  the 
man  and  the  funds  for  his  support,  and  in  1829  the  committee 
reported  a  student,  who  was  approved,  and  the  churches  were 
asked  to  contribute  twelve  and  a  half  cents  per  member  for  his 
support  in  the  course  of  his  study.  Thus  a  beginning  was 
made  in  this  direction. 

In  1830  Rev.  Ansel  R.  Clark,  Agent  of  the  American  Edu- 
cation Society,  located  at  Boston,  appeared  before  the  Presbytery 
and  presented  the  claims  of  that  organization.  After  hearing 
his  address  the  body  manifested  deep  interest  in  the  operations 
of  the  Society,  and  commended  it  to  a  permanent  place  in  the 
hearts  and  contributions  of  the  churches. 

Through  this  medium  chiefly  the  churches  contributed  for  a 
time,  both  those  that  were  Congregational  and  those  that  were 
Presbyterian,  to  the  cause  of  ministerial  education. 

The  chief  work  of  this  Presbytery,  however,  for  some  years, 
in  this  direction,  was  in  the  aid  given  to  the  Milan  Institute 
and  to  the  Western  Reserve  College,  both  of  which  institutions 
were  founded  with  special  reference  to  aiding  young  men, 
with  the  ministr}^  in  view,  to  secure  on  reasonable  terms  a  suit- 
able education. 

As  for  the  Education  Society,  there  was  no  systematic  or 


EDUCATION  FOR   THE  MINISTRY.  201 

stated  presentation  of  the  subject,  and  the  interest  in  it  gradu- 
ally declined  until  1857.  Then  a  recommendation  from  the 
General  Assembly  seems  to  have  brought  the  matter  anew  and 
strongly  to  the  minds  of  the  ministers  and  elders. 

Only  the  year  before  the  Assembly  had  established  its  own 
Permanent  Committee  on  Education,  and  now  it  presses  the 
subject  upon  the  attention  of  the  presbyteries  and  churches. 
The  Presbytery  was  in  session  at  Toledo  during  a  meeting  of 
the  Synod,  when  a  committee,  previously  appointed,  made 
their  report.  It  declared  that  they  could  not  neglect  this 
cause  without  failure  in  duty  to  the  Great  Head  of  the  Church 
and  without  impairing  the  Church's  energy  and  efficiency  ; 
and  as  the  General  Assembly  had  urged  the  duty  upon  all  the 
presbyteries  and  sessions  under  their  care,  and  as  little  or 
nothing  had  been  done  on  this  field  for  this  object  for  nearly 
twenty  years,  they,  therefore,  resolved  to  recognize  it  as  a 
solemn  duty  to  enter  immediately  upon  the  work.  A  commit- 
tee was  appointed,  consisting  of  ministers  Newton,  Walter,  and 
Bushnell,  to  be  called  the  Standing  Committee  on  Education 
for  the  Ministry.  Their  duty  was  to  superintend  the  whole 
work,  dividing  the  field  into  three  parts,  and  each  member  giv- 
ing to  one  part  his  special  attention.  They  were  to  see  that 
the  subject  was  brought  before  the  congregations  and  that  col- 
lections were  taken  up  each  year. 

That  there  might  be  no  ground  for  dissatisfaction  in  any  of 
the  churches,  it  was  decreed  that  the  money  collected  might  be 
sent  either  to  the  Assembly's  Permanent  Committee,  in  New 
York,  or  to  the  treasurer  of  the  Synodical  Committee,  in  Hud- 
son, or  to  the  treasurer  of  the  American  Education  Society,  in 
Boston,  at  the  option  of  the  donors. 

It  was  also  a  part  of  the  work  of  this  committee,  so  far  as 
they  might  be  able,  to  look  up  young  men  who  might  be  suit- 
able candidates  for  the  ministry  and  to  press  uj^on  them  the 
duty  of  giving  themselves  to  the  work. 

They  were  to  examine  and  recommend,  in  the  vacations  of 
Presbytery,  such  young  men  as  might  require  assistance  from 


202  HISTORY  OF  HURON  PRESBYTERY. 

the  funds  at  the  disposal  of  the  Assembly,  and  to  exercise  over 
them  sucli  pastoral  supervision  as  miglit  be  practicable  while 
they  were  pursuing  their  studies. 

The  manifest  point  of  weakness  in  this  action  was  that  the 
moneys  collected  might  be  scattered  into  the  several  different 
channels,  some  churches  sending  their  contributions  to  Boston, 
others  to  New  York,  and  still  others  to  Hudson.  This  difficulty 
was  doubtless  largely  remedied  by  the  action  of  the  Presbytery 
several  years  later. 

In  April,  1860,  Rev.  E.  Bushnell,  from  the  Standing  Com- 
mittee, whose  duty  was  to  report  annually,  made  the  following 
statements  and  suggestions,  which  were  accepted  and  approved 
by  the  Presb3^tery : — 

"  The  Committee  on  Education  report  that  at  the  meeting  of 
April,  1859,  the  collections  for  the  year  then  closing  had  not 
been  paid,  and  therefore  no  complete  report  could  be  made. 
Since  that  time  the  collections  for  the  two  years  have  been 
received,  amounting  to  $246.67.  For  the  year  1858-9  the 
amount  was  $92.00;  and  for  the  year  1859-60  it  was  $154.67. 
Previous  to  April,  1858,  funds  were  paid  to  the  Sy nodical  com- 
mittee from  the  churches.  Last  year  that  committee  expressed 
to  the  committee  of  this  Presbytery  a  desire  to  be  relieved  of 
one  of  their  beneficiaries  who  had  come  from  one  of  our 
churches.  Accordingly,  subsequently  to  the  meeting  of  Pres- 
bytery one  year  since,  your  committee  decided  to  appropriate 
funds  to  him  instead  of  sending  them  to  the  Synodical 
committee. 

''  But  it  may  prevent  difficulties  in  future  to  enlarge  the 
instructions  originally  given  to  this  committee  by  the  adoption 
of  the  following  resolution,  which  we  recommend,  namely : 
'  that  hereafter  no  moneys  shall  be  appropriated  to  any  bene- 
ficiary until  he  shall  have  been  regularly  received  under  the 
care  of  this  body  as  a  candidate  for  the  Gospel  ministry.' 

"  The  committee  beg  leave  to  say  that  in  their  opinion  a 
good  beginning  was  thus  made  in  the  work  of  education ;  a 
great  advantage  was  gained  by  having  the  benefactions  of  the 


EDUCATION  FOR   THE  MINISTRY.  203 

churches  thus  collected  into  one  channel,  even  though  they 
were  not  applied  in  the  same  places.  The  committee  becomes 
the  agent  of  the  churches  and  the  churches  act  in  concert." 

This  plan  met  the  hearty  approval  and  co-operation  of  the 
members  of  Presbytery. 

The  committee  had  charge  of  the  annual  collections  for 
education  in  the  churches,  and  of  the  disbursements  thereof  to 
the  candidates  for  the  ministry.  Several  young  men  received 
the  aid  thus  furnished  who  were  afterward  faithful  and  success- 
ful workers  in  the  Master's  cause. 

In  1861,  when  the  Presbytery  separated  from  the  American 
Home  Missionary  Society,  it  also  decided  to  conform,  in  future, 
in  operations  for  education  for  the  ministry  to  the  plan  indi- 
cated by  the  General  Assembly.  This  was  when  the  Assembly 
had  completed  its  general  plan  of  education  and  communicated 
it  to  the  Presbyteries.  The  action  of  Huron  Presbytery  in  this 
case,  as  in  the  matter  of  home  missions,  indicates  the  feeling 
and  purpose  to  act  in  all  respects  in  harmony  with  the  denom- 
ination of  which  it  was  a  part.  It  indicates  a  disposition 
toward  denominational  centralization. 

It  did  not,  however,  result  in  any  marked  difference  of 
procedure  in  the  matter  of  education.  The  practice  was  not 
abandoned  of  mainly  appropriating  the  funds  collected  for  this 
object  to  the  candidates  that  were  under  care  of  the  body.  This 
we  learn  from  the  general  statement  given  by  Dr.  A.  Newton, 
who,  as  one  of  the  committee,  was  conversant  with  the  facts, 
and  from  the  fact  that  there  were  candidates,  at  least  two  at 
one  time,  who  were  aided  by  this  committee  through  funds 
collected  from  the  churches.  But  this  was  doubtless  in  har- 
mony with  the  above  action  and  with  the  understanding  of  the 
Assembly's  Permanent  Committee,  to  whom  reports  were  made 
of  what  was  being  done  from  year  to  year  by  the  Presbytery. 
This  method  of  operation  continued  until  the  reunion  in  1870, 
since  which  time  collections  for  ministerial  education  are  sent 
to  the  Board  of  Education  at  New  York,  from  which  Board 
candidates  receive  their  aid. 


CHAPTER  IX. 
FROM   1861   TO  1870. 

From  the  beginning  of  the  war  to  the  completed  reunion  of 
the  two  branches  of  the  Presb3^terian  Church  may  be  regarded 
as  another  period  of  this  history. 

And  we  may  here  give  : — 


I.   THE  CHRONICLES  OF  MINISTERS  AND   CHURCHES. 

On  the  3d  of  April,  1861,  Rev.  John  McCutchen  was  dis- 
missed to  the  Presbytery  of  Elyria. 

On  the  12th  of  October  Mr.  J.  D.  McCord,  a  licentiate  from 
the  Congregational  Council  of  Cincinnati,  was  received,  and 
on  the  16th  of  September,  1862,  he  was  ordained  and  installed 
pastor  of  the  church  of  Peru. 

April  1, 1862,  Rev.  S.  D.  Smith  was  received  from  the  Pres- 
bytery of  Dayton. 

April  2d  Mr.  George  Fitch  was  taken  under  the  care  of  Pres- 
bytery as  a  candidate  for  the  ministry. 

On  the  30th  of  the  same  month  Mr.  Franklin  Noble  was 
received  as  a  licentiate  from  the  Presbytery  of  the  District  of 
Columbia. 

THE  SANDUSKY  CHUKCH. 

The  meeting  of  the  Presbytery  on  the  30th  of  April,  at 
which  Mr.  Noble  was  received,  was  held  at  Sandusky,  and  for 
a  special  purpose. 

Mr.  S.  Miner,  representing  the  Presbyterian  church  of  that 
place,  presented  an  application  of  the  said  church  to  be  received 
under  the  care  of  Huron  Presbytery. 

204 


THE  SANDUSKY  CHURCH.  205 

In  April,  1851,  as  already  noted,  the  Sandusky  Congrega- 
tional Church  had  withdrawn  from  the  body. 

On  the  18th  of  November,  1852,  twenty-six  members  of  the 
Congregational  church,  having  obtained  letters  of  dismissal, 
withdrew  from  it  to  organize  a  Presbyterian  church. 

These  persons  had  been  formerly  Presbyterians,  and  they 
were  not  satisfied  with  the  course  of  things  in  the  above-named 
church.  They  made  application  to  the  Old  School  Presbytery 
of  Richland,  and  were  organized  under  its  care  and  by  a  com- 
mittee from  it  consisting  of  Rev.  John  Robinson  and  Rev.  Mr. 
Dickey.  Mr.  Dickey  preached  the  sermon  on  the  11th  of 
December,  1852. 

This  church  was  under  the  care  of  Richland  Presbytery 
until  the  Old  School  Presbytery  of  Western  Reserve  embraced 
this  territory,  including,  also,  the  Tiffin  church,  when  it  be- 
came a  part  of  that  body. 

It  had,  therefore,  been  an  Old  School  organization  until  the 
meeting  of  April,  1862.  Resulting  from  thoughts  on  the  state 
of  the  country  at  the  time,  and  especially  because  some  of  the 
members  had  conceived  the  idea  that  the  Old  School  body  was 
not  outspoken  enough  on  the  question  of  slavery,  there  had 
grown  up  a  desire  for  transfer  to  the  New  School  Presbytery. 
This  desire  was  presented  by  Mr.  Miner,  and  the  change  was 
effected  without  difficulty,  though  a  considerable  proportion  of 
the  church  would  have  preferred  to  have  continued  in  their 
former  Old  School  relation. 

The  Presbytery  of  Huron  found  that  the  orderly  steps  had 
been  taken  with  a  view  to  the  transfer,  and  immediately 
granted  the  request,  received  the  church,  and  admitted  its 
delegate  to  his  seat  as  a  member. 

A  unanimous  call  was  then  presented  to  Mr.  Franklin  Noble 
to  become  pastor  of  the  church.  Mr.  Noble  declared  his  readi- 
ness to  accept  the  call ;  whereupon  Presbytery  proceeded  to 
examine  him  in  all  the  parts  of  his  studies  with  a  view  to  his 
ordination,  and,  being  satisfied  with  the  examinations  and  the 
trial  exercises,  they  ordained  him  to  the  work  of  a  gospel  min- 


206  HISTORY  OF  HURON  PRESBYTERY. 

ister,  and  installed  him  pastor  of  the  Presbyterian  church  of 
Sandusky. 

FURTHER  RECEPTIONS  AND  DISMISSALS. 

On  the  3d  of  Septeml^er,  1862,  Rev.  J.  B.  Parlin  was  received 
from  the  Presbytery  of  Dubuque. 

On  the  same  day  Rev.  R.  S.  Lockwood  was  dismissed  to  the 
Presbytery  of  Erie. 

September  2,  1863,  Rev.  J.  B.  Fowler  was  dismissed  to  the 
Presbytery  of  St.  Joseph. 

In  1864,  on  the  26th  of  April,  Rev.  D.  E.  Wells  was  received 
from  the  Presbytery  of  Steubenville,  and  the  Rev.  S.  Jewett, 
on  the  28th  of  June,  from  the  Presbytery  of  Miami. 

The  pastoral  relation  existing  between  Rev.  Y.  Noble  and 
the  church  of  Sandusky  was  dissolved  on  the  28th  of  June. 

At  the  meeting  of  the  body,  September  7th,  the  Rev.  Lemuel 
Bissell,  one  of  the  Presbytery's  two  foreign  missionaries,  being 
on  a  visit  from  his  foreign  field,  upon  request,  gave  an  inter- 
esting account  of  his  field  and  his  work. 

On  the  5th  of  April,  1865,  Rev.  S.  Jewett  and  Rev.  F.  Noble 
were  dismissed,  the  former  to  the  Presbytery  of  Dubuque,  the 
latter  to  the  Litchfield  North  Association. 

Rev.  J.  E.  Weed,  also,  was  dismissed  to  the  Presbytery  of 
Marshall. 

■     On  the  same  day  Rev.  J.  D.  McCord  was  released  from  the 
pastorate  of  the  church  of  Peru. 

September  6th  Mr.  W.  M.  Newton,  a  licentiate,  was  received 
from  the  Presbytery  of  Cincinnati,  and,  after  the  usual  exami- 
nations and  exercises,  he  was  ordained  to  the  work  of  an  evan- 
gelist, entering  upon  the  work  of  supplying  the  churches  of 
Bloom ville  and  Melmore. 

October  14th  Rev.  Hubbard  Laurence  was  received  from 
the  Presbytery  of  Elyria,  and  Rev.  George  H.  Fullerton  from 
the  Presbytery  of  Columbus. 

October  31st  Rev.  W.  T.  Hart  was  received  from  the  Presby- 
tery of  Madison,  to  take  charge  of  the  church  of  Lyme. 


PRESBYTERY  OF  ELYRIA  DISSOLVED.  207 

On  the  6th  of  September,  this  year,  Rev.  J.  B.  Parlin  was 
dismissed  to  the  Mitchell's  Association  of  Iowa,  the  Rev. 
Hiram  Smith  to  the  Presbytery  of  Cold  Water,  and  the  pas- 
toral relation  between  Rev.  F.  L.  Rossiter  and  the  church  of 
Huron  was  dissolved. 

On  the  31st  of  October  Rev.  George  H.  FuUerton  was  in- 
stalled pastor  of  the  church  in  Sandusky. 

April  4,  1866,  Rev.  N.  C.  Coffin  was  received  from  the  Pres- 
bytery of  Dayton,  and  Mr.  Wesley  Fay  was  taken  under  care 
as  a  candidate  for  the  ministry. 

On  the  1st  of  ISIay  another  candidate  for  the  ministry,  Mr. 
Robert  Cutler,  was  duly  received.  On  the  same  day  the 
Committee  on  Home  Missions  reported  the  church  of  Berlin 
as  having  withdrawn  from  the  Presbytery,  whereupon  the 
name  of  said  church  was  dropped  from  the  roll. 

Rev.  F.  L.  Rossiter  was  dismissed  to  the  Presbytery  of  Co- 
lumbus, Wis.,  and  Rev.  J.  D.  McCord  was  installed  pastor  of  the 
church  of  Plymouth. 

September  25th  Rev.  D.  E.  Wells  was  installed  pastor  of  the 
church  of  Monroeville. 


PRESBYTERY  OF  ELYRIA  DISSOLVED. 

At  the  meeting  of  the  Western  Reserve  Synod  in  the  fall  of 
1866  the  Presbytery  of  Elyria  was  dissolved  and  from  it  there 
were  added  to  Huron  Presbytery  the  following  ministers  and 
churches,  namely :  the  ministers  and  churches  in  the  eastern 
townships  of  Erie  and  Huron  counties,  and  one  church  in 
Ashland  County.  Ministers :  Eldad  Barber,  Marcus  Palmer, 
•Joel  Talcott,  and  John  McCutchen,  with  Madison  Elliott  in 
Lorain  County.  Churches :  Birmingham,  Florence,  A^'ermillion, 
and  Ruggles. 

Thus  the  boundaries  of  this  body  were  again  changed ;  and 
as  the  church  of  Ruggles  in  a  few  months  withdrew  to  the 
Association,  leaving  no  organization  in  Ashland  County  in 
care  of  the  Presbytery,  it  may  be  regarded  as  the  final  settle- 


208  HISTORY  OF  HURON  PRESBYTERY. 

ment  of  the  territorial  limits.  In  the  early  part  of  the  follow- 
ing year  a  proposition  was  made,  in  accordance  with  the  desire 
of  the  Presbytery  of  Maumee,  to  have  the  boundaries  of  the 
Presbytery  so  changed  as  to  annex  the  churches  of  Fremont 
and  Clyde  to  the  Presbytery  of  Maumee.  But  the  objections 
of  the  Presbytery  of  Huron  prevailed,  and  the  change  was  not 
made. 

FROM  1867  TO  1869. 

On  the  Gth  of  April,  1867,  the  church  of  Clyde  was  organized 
by  Rev.  E.  Bushnell  and  Rev.  George  H.  Fullerton,  with  twelve 
members.  On  the  lOtli  of  April  it  was  received  under  care  of 
the  Presbytery ;  at  which  date  the  church  of  Ruggles  was  dis- 
missed to  the  Congregational  Association  and  its  name  dropped 
from  the  roll. 

April  10th  Rev.  H.  B.  Dye  was  received  from  the  Presby- 
tery of  Trumbull. 

October  16th  the  church  of  Green  Spring  was  received  by 
letter  of  transfer  from  the  Presbytery  of  Western  Reserve. 

November  26th  Rev.  J.  B.  Smith  was  received  from  the 
Presbytery  of  Oxford.  On  the  same  day  Rev.  G.  H.  Fullerton 
was  released  from  the  pastorate  of  the  Sandusky  church  and 
dismissed  to  the  Presbytery  of  Cincinnati. 

On  the  15tli  of  April,  1868,  two  young  men  under  the  care 
of  the  Presbytery  as  candidates  for  the  ministry,  Mr.  Heber  A. 
Ketcham  and  Mr.  George  F.  Fitch,  were,  after  the  usual  exami- 
nations and  trial  exercises,  licensed  to  preach  the  Gospel. 

At  the  same  time  Rev.  S.  D.  Smith  was  dismissed  to  the  Pres- 
bytery of  Franklin  ;  the  pastoral  relation  between  Rev.  J.  D.  Mc- 
Cord  and  the  church  of  Plymouth  was  dissolved,  and  he  was 
dismissed  to  the  Presbytery  of  St.  Joseph.  The  pastoral  relation 
between  Rev.  D.  E.  Wells  and  the  church  of  Monroeville  was 
dissolved,  and  ]\Ir.  Wells  was  dismissed  to  the  Presbytery  of 
Winona;  and  Rev.  Hubbard  Laurence  was  dismissed  to  the 
Presbytery  of  Cleveland. 

September  9th  Rev.  M.  Keiffer,  d.  d.,  was  received  from  the 


1810.  209 

Tiffin  Classis  of  the  Reformed  Church  by  letter,  he  having  first 
assented  to  the  constitutional  questions  specified  in  the  Confes- 
sion of  Faith. 

Dr.  KeiflFer  had,  for  a  time,  been  supplying^  the  Sandusky 
church,  and  on  the  24th  of  September,  having  accepted  a  call 
to  become  pastor,  he  was  installed. 

This  relation  between  Dr.  Keiffer  and  the  church  of  San- 
dusky was  of  but  short  duration.  He  was  a  fine  preacher,  a 
man  of  more  than  mediocre  ability,  and  for  a  while  was  quite 
popular  in  that  church.  But  owing  to  some  strong  presenta- 
tion of  doctrinal  subjects,  especially  regarding  the  Divine 
sovereignty,  he  awakened  dissatisfaction,  which  resulted  in  the 
dissolution  of  the  pastoral  relation  on  the  14th  of  April,  1869, 
after  a  continuance  of  less  than  seven  months.  He  was  dis- 
missed to  the  Mercersburg  Classis  of  the  Reformed  Church. 

At  this  time,  April  14,  1869,  Mr.  H.  A.  Ketcham,  licentiate, 
was  transferred  to  the  Presbytery  of  Cinciimati.  July  27th 
the  other  licentiate,  Mr.  George  B.  Fitch,  was  dismissed  to  the 
same  body. 

April  14th  Rev.  Andrew  Huntington  was  received  from  the 
Oneida  Association. 

September  15th  Rev.  J.  K.  Kost  was  received  from  the 
Richland  Presbytery,  and  on  the  30th  of  November  he  was 
installed  pastor  of  the  church  of  Plymouth.  On  the  same  day 
Rev.  J.  B.  Smith  was  dismissed  to  the  Presbytery  of  Logans- 
port. 

1870. 

The  year  1870,  the  year  of  transfer  and  change  of  boundaries 
and  relations  after  the  now  effected  reunion,  opens  up  a  new 
era  in  the  history  of  this  body. 

On  the  13th  of  April  there  were  received  two  ministers — 
Rev.  James  McCoy  from  the  Presbytery  of  Dayton  and  Rev. 
Joseph  Edwards  from  that  of  Alton. 

April  26th  Rev.  T.  D.  Bartholomew  was  received  from  the 
Presbytery  of  Indianapolis. 

14 


210  HISTORY  OF  ]WRON  PRESBYTERY. 

DR.  A.  NEWTON  AND  NORWALK  CHURCH. 

On  the  5th  of  July  of  this  memorable  year  the  Presbytery 
was  called  upon  to  perform  an  act  which  could  not  be  done 
withuot  some  painful  thoughts.  Rev.  Alfred  Newton,  d.d., 
had  been  one  of  the  most  beloved  of  the  ministerial  brethren. 
It  was  a  pleasure  to  his  co-presbyters  that  he  had  been  honored 
with  the  appointment  to  preach  the  opening  sermon  at  the 
organization  of  the  new  Synod  of  Toledo  on  the  21st  of  June 
— which  sermon  he  did  preach,  from  the  words,  "  And  I,  if  I  be 
lifted  up,  will  draw  all  men  unto  me." 

But  Dr.  Newton  was  beginning  to  show  some  of  the  physical 
effects  of  age.  He  had  been  pastor  of  the  church  of  Norwalk 
for  thirty-five  years.  He  had  been  an  affectionate  and  faithful 
pastor  and  an  able  minister  of  the  Word.  He  was  loved  and 
honored  by  his  own  people,  by  the  people  of  Norwalk,  and 
wherever  he  went,  universally.  Yet  it  seemed  to  him  best 
that  he  resign  the  charge  he  had  held  so  long,  and  the  Pres- 
bytery was  called  upon  to  hear  the  offer  of  his  resignation  and 
reasons  therefor,  and  to  act  upon  the  matter  according  to  their 
best  judgment. 

Around  such  pastorates  many  facts  and  considerations  of 
most  tender  and  sacred  interest  cluster,  and  even  though  age 
and  necessities  newly  arisen  may  demand  it,  yet  thinking 
ministers  and  elders  cannot  dissolve  the  relation  without  tender 
sympathy  for  the  dear  old  pastor  and  with  those  older  church 
members  whose  hearts  will  be  sorely  tried  in  the  event. 

In  this  case,  while  dissolving  the  relation,  the  Presbytery 
appointed  a  committee,  consisting  of  Rev.  E.  Bushnell,  d.d., 
and  Rev.  H.  B.  Dye,  to  draft  a  suitable  minute  relative  to  the 
case,  to  be  presented  at  the  next  met^ting  of  the  body.  The 
minute  was  reported  at  the  time  appointed.  It  was  adopted 
and  placed  upon  the  records. 

It  is  as  follows : — 

"  In  dissolving  the  pastoral  relation  between  Rev.  A.  Newton, 
D.D.,  and  the  church  at  Norwalk,  after  its  continuance  for  a 


3IEETING   OF  SEPTEMBER   13,  1S70.  211 

period  of  thirty-five  years,  Presbyter}^  think  it  fitting,  by  dis- 
tinct and  explicit  record, — 

"  1st.  To  recognize  tlie  grace  and  oversight  of  the  Great 
Head  of  the  Church  manifest  in  giving  to  the  people  of  this 
charge  the  blessings  of  a  permanent,  steadfast  ministry,  and 
to  this  pastor  the  vigor  to  labor  so  continuously  in  the  Gospel 
work. 

"  2d.  To  congratulate  our  brethren  of  the  Norwalk  church 
on  all  the  fruits  of  this  steady,  substantial  ministration  of  the 
Word,  manifest  in  their  enlarged  numbers  and  material  pros- 
perity. 

"  3d.  To  assure  Dr.  Newton  of  our  high  appreciation  of  such 
a  ministry  as  he  has  passed  in  Norwalk,  and  our  earnest  prayer 
that  his  present  bodily  vigor  may  be  continued  to  him  yet 
many  years. 

"  4th.  To  remind  all  parties  concerned,  not  forgetting  our- 
selves, that  the  time  of  our  earthly  service  is  rapidly  passing 
by,  and  we  are  all  called  to  renew  our  diligence  that  we  may 
accomplish  the  Master's  will  and  win  His  approbation." 


MEETING  OF  SEPTEMBER  13,  1870. 

The  first  meeting  of  the  reconstructed  Presbytery  was  held 
at  Olena  on  the  13tli  of  September,  and  was  opened  with  a 
sermon  by  Rev.  J.  H.  Walter. 

At  this  meeting  Rev.  J.  T.  Pollock  was  received  from  the 
Presbytery  of  Dayton  and  Mr.  H.  H.  Rice,  a  licentiate,  from 
the  Presbytery  of  New  York. 

A  call  was  placed  in  the  hands  of  Mr.  Rice  from  the  church 
of  Norwalk  to  become  its  j^astor,  and  he  having  declared  his 
willingness  to  accept  it,  arrangements  were  made  for  his  ordi- 
nation and  installation,  which  took  place,  after  due  examination 
and  process,  at  Norwalk  on  the  6th  of  October. 

On  the  13th  of  September  Rev.  John  McCutchen  was  dis- 
missed to  the  Presbytery  of  Marion. 

On  the  29th  of  November  Rev.  D.  W.  Marvin  was  received 


212  HISTORY  OF  HURON  PRESBYTERY. 

from  the  Consociation  of  Western  New  York.     He  took  charge 
of  the  church  in  Clyde. 

By  virtue  of  the  reunion  the  names  of  Rev.  R.  B.  Moore, 
pastor  of  the  church  in  Tiffin,  and  Rev.  Wm.  McClaren,  d.d., 
minister  of  the  church  in  Fostoria,  together  with  the  churches 
of  Tiffin,  Fostoria,  and  McCutchensville,  were  added  to  the  roll 
of  Presbytery. 


II.    STATE  OF  THE  COUNTRY. 

At  the  time  of  the  April  meeting,  in  1861,  the  nation  was 
just  on  the  eve  of  her  great  Civil  War.  In  nine  days  from  the 
time  of  that  meeting  the  booming  of  cannon  was  lieard  at 
Fort  Sumter.  At  the  time,  and  for  the  several  months  previ- 
ous, the  country  was  in  a  ferment  of  agitation.  These  good 
ministers  and  elders,  who,  in  common  with  so  many  others, 
had  been  bold  in  condemning  the  slavery  of  the  South,  de- 
nouncing it  as  a  sin  against  God  and  a  crime  against  man, 
might  then  have  been  wondering  what  was  about  to  come  of 
all  this  opposition  and  agitation,  for  which  they  were,  in  their 
measure,  responsible.  They  might  have  been  asking,  and,  if 
they  could  have  seen  just  a  little  in  advance,  how  earnestly 
they  would  have  asked,  "Watchman,  what  of  the  night? 
Watchman,  what  of  the  night?"  They  might,  indeed,  have 
trembled  at  the  possible  results  of  some  of  their  own  words. 
But  we  have  no  reason  to  believe  that  even  one  of  them  fal- 
tered. They  never  for  a  moment  doubted  the  justness  or 
lamented  the  severity  of  their  utterances.  Slavery  was  all  they 
had  ever  thought  it  to  be,  and  God's  providence,  which  is  some- 
times dark,  indeed,  might  in  a  manner  unknown,  or  unthought 
of  by  them,  bring  about  the  deliverance  of  the  poor  black  race. 
For  He  maketh  darkness  His  pavilion.  These  brethren  would 
think,  and  without  doubt  some  of  them  did  speak,  of  the  de- 
liverance of  Israel  out  of  Egypt ;  and  in  their  hearts  they  said, 
*'  The  Lord  is  behind  these  scenes,  which  seem  to  make  the  very 
air  heavy,  and  from  the  distance — may  it  not  be  far  off — we 


STATE   OF  THE   COUNTRY.  213 

see  the  end  of  that  cruel  system  of  human  bondage  and  the 
answer  to  our  prayers,  which  have  been  going  up  with  those  of 
the  bhick  men  themselves  all  over  the  South." 

It  was,  indeed,  from  under  the  cloud,  and  yet,  somehow, 
there  was  a  faith  by  which  men  seemed  to  see  the  signal  of 
God's  hand  in  the  movements  of  the  warrior  and  to  hear  His 
voice  in  the  cannon  at  Fort  Sumter. 

The  tramp  of  the  gathering  of  great  opposing  hosts  was 
indescribably  significant.  Many  hearts,  and  they  were  not  all 
of  them  hearts  that  had,  in  religion  and  politics,  set  themselves 
against  the  slaveholder — many  of  them  had  been  his  friends 
and  apologizers, — many  hearts  of  various  creeds  said,  almost 
instinctively,  at  the  early  stage  of  the  conflict,  "  The  slavery  of 
the  South  is  from  henceforth  a  doomed  institution." 

While  the  scenes  of  Sumter,  through  the  States  of  the 
South,  and  at  Washington  were  transpiring,  and  while  the  fly- 
ing of  telegrams  was  stirring  all  hearts  at  the  North  with  a 
new  emotion,  both  of  loyal  and  disloyal,  the  ministers  of  Huron 
Presbytery  were  going  forward  with  their  work.  The  church 
services  were  still  conducted  as  usual,  and  prayers  for  the  land 
and  for  the  oppressed  were  still  being  offered,  only,  perchance, 
with  more  depth  of  heart  and  with  more  trembling  of  hope 
than  before.  There  were  no  special  presbyterial  meetings 
called.  The  work  of  the  pastors  and  of  the  churches  simply 
went  forward,  in  many  respects,  as  usual. 

There  was  no  meeting  of  Presbytery  from  the  3d  of  April, 
18(31,  till  the  4th  of  September  ;  and  we  know  that  some  scenes 
had  transpired,  in  that  time,  to  try  the  faith  of  the  friends  of 
God  and  of  humanity. 

The  first  notice  found  upon  the  records  of  the  interest  felt 
by  this  body  in  the  war  then  raging  is  in  the  report  of  this 
meeting  held  on  the  4th  of  September.  It  is  found  in  the  nar- 
rative of  the  state  of  religion.  There  do  not  appear  to  have 
been  at  this  time  any  special  motions  or  discussions  of  the 
state  of  the  country.  There,  perhaps,  was  no  felt  call  for  any- 
thing of  that  kind,  as  many  men  thought  there  was  in  other 


214  HISTORY  OF  HURON  PRESBYTERY. 

church  courts  and  assemblies.  Did  these  men  feel  like  stand- 
ing still  to  see  the  salvation  of  God  ?  That  was  wisdom,  the 
wisdom  of  faith,  and  yet  it  was  not  a  do-nothing  wisdom  either. 
In  the  narrative  prepared  for  the  Synod  at  this  time  it  is  stated 
that  the  people  of  the  churches  share  in  the  excitement  which 
grows  out  of  the  state  of  the  country,  and  that  some  of  the 
members  are  volunteers  in  the  army  of  the  United  States.  But, 
they  go  on  to  say,  the  general  testimony  is  that  the  war  tends 
to  deeper  and  more  solemn  earnestness  on  the  part  of  the 
churches.  Those  who  were  wont  to  attend  the  prayer-meeting 
were  manifestly  sensible  that  God  was  moving  in  the  land,  and 
the  prayer-meetings  were  sustained,  not  particularly  by  large 
numbers,  but  with  unwonted  interest.  The  war  thus  appeared 
to  be  a  source  of  quickening,  rather  than  of  coldness.  These 
people  and  churches,  encouraged  and  led  by  ministers  earnest 
and  loyal  to  God  and  countr}-,  and  who  had  aforetime  been 
faithful  to  speak  out  against  whatever  they  regarded  as  wrong, 
were  not  to  be  slack  in  their  Christian  zeal  at  such  a  time,  a 
time  when  the  glory  of  the  nation  was  threatened.  If  they 
had  spoken  out  boldly,  and  j^et  charitably,  on  the  subject  of 
slavery,  they  had  longed,  and  would  still  long,  to  see  the  time 
when  the  evil  would  cease  from  the  land. 

They  prayed  to  God  as  well  as  spoke  to  their  fellow-men. 
A  terrible  state  of  things  was  now  at  hand  for  which  they  had 
not  prayed ;  and  yet — who  doubts  it? — it  was,  after  all,  involved 
in  their  prayers.  If  we  could  see  all  things  that  do  lie  con- 
cealed from  us  when  we  pour  forth  our  special  supplications, 
many  a  time  we  would  shrink  back  from  tlie  sight,  and  the 
very  desire  would  tremble  on  our  lips.  'Tis  well  we  do  not  see 
as  Jehovah  of  hosts  sees. 

These  men  could  only  see  and  think  as  men  ;  but  they  were 
willing  to  accept  the  days  as  they  came  and  went,  freighted 
with  whatever  there  might  be  in  store  for  them  and  for  the 
land.  But  they  could  not  do  this,  they  could  not  go  forward 
to  meet  the  coming  invisibles,  without  prayer.  Pastors  were 
now  willing  to  see  their  people,  their  friends,  and  brethren 


STATE  OF  THE  COUNTRY.  215 

enlist  for  the  war.  Ministers,  elders,  and  others  were  willing  to 
surrender  their  sons,  and  wives  to  give  up  their  husbands,  that 
whatever  might  lie  in  the  womb  of  God's  great  purpose  might 
be  accomplished.  In  doing  so  they  continued  to  pray  more 
earnestly  than  ever.  The  ties  of  blood  would  spur  theai  to 
this  anew,  and  in  their  devotions  and  by  their  faith  they  were 
enabled  to  feel  that  God's  purpose,  when  it  should  ripen, 
and  when  the  bitter  bud  were  bloomed  into  the  flower,  would 
be  one  of  glory  to  His  name  and  of  good  to  human  kind. 

Weeping  might  endure  for  the  night,  but  there  would  be  joy 
in  the  morning.  Thus  the  noise  and  din  of  war,  that  very 
state  of  things  which  in  its  nature  is  most  calculated  to  harden 
the  heart  toward  men  and  to  chill  Christian  love  and  zeal  in 
the  home  and  in  the  church,  had  in  this  case,  according  to  the 
narrative,  the  effect  of  bringing  these  men  and  many  of  their 
people  nearer  to  the  cross,  and  of  giving  them  a  new  earnest- 
ness and  a  deeper  solemnity. 

We  have  said  that  there  did  not  appear  to  have  been  any 
special  motions  or  discussions  upon  the  state  of  the  country  at 
this  meeting.  There  would  not  be  much  discussion  where  each 
heart  throbbed  in  deep  unison  with  all  the  rest.  And  yet  there 
was  a  committee  appointed,  consisting  of  Rev.  J.  H.  Walters, 
Dr.  E.  Bushnell,  and  James  Boyd,  to  draft  some  action  for  the 
body  to  take. 

This  committee  made  their  report,  which  was  very  brief. 
They  did  not  enter  into  many  of  the  particulars  of  thought  or 
view  of  the  conditions  as  they  might  then  have  appeared. 
They  simply  satisfy  themselves  with  heartily  recommending 
the  resolutions  of  the  last  General  Assembly,  that  of  the  May 
previous.  Thej^  adopt  these  resolutions,  without  recording 
them  anew,  each  and  all,  as  embracing  their  own  views  and 
sentiments  upon  the  subject. 

We  turn  to  the  Minutes  of  that  Assembly  and  read  what 
they  said,  to  know  what  Huron  Presbytery  said  and  thought  in 
the  hour  of  the  nation's  peril. 

That  Assembly  spoke  under  emotions  that  reached  down  to 


216  HISTORY  OF  HURON  PRESBYTERY. 

the  most  deeply  embedded  lieart  chord,  and  tlieir  words  were 
worth  repeating  and  adopting  by  any  body  of  men.  They 
said  in  a  paper,  with  preamble  and  seven  resolutions,  that  as  a 
portion  of  the  people  of  the  United  States  had  risen  up  against 
the  rightful  authority  of  the  Government,  and  were  then  in 
armed  rebellion,  and  inasmuch  as  the  Presbyterian  Church,  in 
her  past  history,  had  frequently  lifted  up  her  voice  against 
oppression,  and  had  shown  herself  a  champion  of  constitutional 
liberty  as  against  despotism  and  anarchy,  they  should  be  re- 
creant to  their  high  trust  were  they  to  withhold  their  earnest 
protest  against  all  such  unlawful  and  treasonable  acts. 

They  said  that  inasmuch  as  they  believed,  according  to  their 
Form  of  Church  Government,  that  God,  the  Supreme  Lord  and 
King  of  all  the  world,  hath  ordained  civil  magistrates  to  be, 
under  Him,  over  the  people  for  His  own  glory  and  the  public 
good,  and  to  this  end  hath  armed  them  with  the  power  of  the 
sword  for  the  defense  and  encouragement  of  them  that  are 
good  and  for  the  punishment  of  evil  doers,  there  was,  in  their 
judgment,  no  blood  or  treasure  too  precious  to  be  devoted  to 
the  defense  and  perpetuity  of  the  Government  in  all  its  consti- 
tutional authority. 

They  recommend  to  all  pastors  and  churches  to  be  instant 
and  fervent  in  prayer  for  the  President,  and  for  all  under  him 
engaged  in  the  struggle,  and  to  pray  more  fervently  than  ever 
for  the  removal  of  slavery  and  all  other  evils,  both  social  and 
political,  which  lay  at  the  foundation  of  the  existing  national 
difficulties. 

This,  in  brief,  was  what  the  Assembly  said,  and  the  Presby- 
tery felt  that  they  could  say  nothing  better. 

After  saying  this,  they  then  most  earnestly  recommend  the 
day  of  prayer  and  fasting,  wdiich  had  just  been  appointed  by 
the  nation's  Chief  Magistrate,  to  be  observed  in  all  the  churches. 
The  members  of  the  Presbytery  knew  well  the  action  of  their 
General  Assembly,  and  their  churches  knew  it,  and  every 
heart  endorsed  it.  They  knew,  too,  the  propriety  of  a  day  of 
fasting  and  prayer,  and  they  did  not  stop  to  debate  about  that. 


STATE   OF  THE  COUNTRY  217 

The  appointment  had  been  made  by  Mr.  Lincoln,  the  man  who 
believed  in  God  and  in  his  Redeemer,  who  never  issued  a  state 
paper  or  a  message  to  Congress  without  in  some  manner  re- 
ferring to  God,  the  Ruler  of  Nations.  He  also  believed  in 
prayer,  and  now,  when  surrounded  with  clouds  and  darkness, 
and  amid  trials  such  as  no  President  of  this  nation  had  been 
called  to  meet,  he  appoints  a  day  and  calls  upon  believers  in 
God  and  in  Christ  to  pray  for  him  and  for  the  bleeding  nation. 

Devoutly  the  fathers  and  brethren  of  the  Presbytery  re- 
sponded :  "  We  will,  and  we  want  our  people  to  unite  with  us 
on  that  day  of  holy  convocation  and  prayer  for  the  country 
and  her  ruler." 

Thus,  at  this  early  stage  of  the  conflict,  there  was  both  earn- 
estness and  unity  of  desire  for  the  preservation  of  the  Union  in 
its  entirety,  and  for  the  deliverance  from  bondage  of  those 
whom  greed  and  sin  had  enslaved  under  fetters  too  cruel  and 
too  vile  to  endure  long  under  the  increasing  light  from  the 
cross  of  Christ. 

Again,  both  in  the  years  1862  and  1863,  the  Presbytery 
repeat  their  action  of  1861  by  endorsing  the  words  spoken  by 
the  Assemblies  of  those  years  respectively  ;  and  they  thank  God 
for  the  unanimity  with  which  the  Assemblies  acted. 

In  1862  the  General  Assembly  adopted  a  paper  in  which  we 
find  these  words : — 

"  We  have  great  confidence  in  Abraham  Lincoln  and  in  his 
Cabinet,  and  in  the  commanders  of  our  army  and  our  navy, 
and  the  valiant  men  of  this  republic,  prosecuting  a  holy  war- 
fare under  their  banners ;  and  while  we  bless  God  that  He  has 
stood  by  them,  and  cheered  them  in  what  we  trust  will  ever 
stand  as  the  darkest  days  of  our  country's  humiliation,  and 
crowned  them  with  many  signal  victories,  and  knowing  that 
ultimate  success  is  with  God  alone,  we  will  ever  pray  that  the 
last  sad  note  of  anarchy  and  misrule  may  soon  die  away,  and 
the  Old  Flag  of  Our  Country,  radiant  with  stripes  and  bril- 
liant with  stars,  may  again  wave  over  a  great,  undivided,  and 
happy  people." 


218  HISTORY  OF  IIURON  PRESRYTERY. 

Again  : — 

"  Resolved /^XvdiwQ  here,  in  deep  humiliation  for  our  sins  and 
for  the  sins  of  the  nation,  and  in  heartfelt  devotion,  lay  our- 
selves, with  all  that  we  are  and  have,  on  the  altar  of  God  and 
our  country ;  and  we  hesitate  not  to  pledge  the  churches  and 
Christian  people  under  our  care  as  ready  to  join  with  us  in  the 
same  fervent  sympathies  and  united  prayers  that  our  rulers  in 
the  cabinet  and  our  commanders  in  the  field  and  on  the  waters, 
and  the  brave  men  under  their  leadership,  may  take  courage, 
under  the  assurance  that '  The  Presbyterian  Church  in  the 
United  States  of  America'  are  with  them  in  heart  and  hand, 
in  life  and  effort,  in  this  fearful  existing  conflict." 

The  Assembly,  also,  at  this  time  addressed  to  Mr.  Lincoln 
an  approving  and  affectionate  letter,  in  which  are  found  these 
words : — 

"  We  believe  that  there  is  but  one  path  before  this  people ; 
this  gigantic  and  inexpressibly  wicked  rebellion  must  be  de- 
stroyed ;  the  interests  of  humanity,  the  cause  of  God  and  His 
Church,  demand  it  at  our  hands.  May  God  give  you  His  great 
support,  preserve  you,  impart  to  you  more  than  human  wis- 
dom, and  permit  you  ere  long  to  rejoice  in  the  deliverance  of 
our  beloved  country  in  its  peace  and  unity." 

In  1863  another  lengthy  paper  was  adopted  in  which  the 
churches  and  ministers  are  exhorted  to  stand  b}"  their  country, 
doing  all  in  their  power,  at  any  sacrifice,  waiting  hopefully  on 
Providence,  patient  and  undaunted,  "until, by  the  blessing  of 
God,  the  glorious  motto.  One  Country,  one  Constitution,  and 
ONE  Destiny,  shall  be  enthroned  as  the  sublime  fact  of  the 
present,  and  the  more  sublime  harbinger  of  the  future." 

This  spirit  of  unfaltering  loyalty  so  unanimously  manifested 
in  the  Assembly,  and  so  eloquently  expressed,  found  a  perfectly 
hearty  response  in  the  Presbytery,  and  each  of  the  papers 
adopted  by  the  higher  body  was  made  also  the  action  of  the 
lower. 

The  Presbytery,  however,  did  not  stop  with  expressions  of 
loyalty  to  country  and  gratitude  and  prayer  to  God.     They 


THE  STATE  OF  THE  CHURCHES.  219 

encouraged  everything,  by  word  and  act,  that  could  in  any  way 
help  the  nation's  cause,  or  bring  support  and  comfort  to  "  the 
brave  defenders  of  our  glorious  Union."  They  responded  to 
the  calls  for  men  to  put  on  the  soldiers'  armor.  They  say  in 
one  of  the  narratives,  that  "  The  state  of  our  country  is  more 
deeply  affecting  the  churches  and  congregations  than  ever ; 
great  numbers  of  the  young  men  are  being  called  away  to 
mingle  in  the  scenes  of  the  fearful  strife,"  leaving  hearts  at 
home  solicitous  and  tearful. 

There  was  also  a  response  to  the  calls  of  the  Christian  Com- 
mission, and  very  much  was  done  in  the  various  neighbor- 
hoods in  the  way  of  supplies  for  the  health  and  comfort  of  the 
sick  and  wounded.  And  when  the  Commission  sent  out 
recommendations  with  reference  to  arm}^  chaplains,  the  Pres- 
bytery sought  also  to  encourage  that,  most  probably  in  the  way 
of  temporary  service  in  that  line  of  duty.  They  appointed  a 
provisional  committee  having  the  matter  in  hand,  and  they 
entered  upon  a  general  agreement  that  in  case  any  of  the 
ministers  should  engage  in  the  chaplain  service,  the  others 
would  supply  his  pulpit  during  his  absence. 

And  when  Mr.  Lincoln  again  recommended  and  appointed 
a  day  of  fasting  and  prayer — the  last  Thursday  of  April,  1863 — 
in  view  of  the  darkness  that  just  then  overshadowed  the  nation, 
the  ministers  and  elders  seem  to  have  entered  into  the  spirit  of 
the  call,  and  convoked  their  congregations  for  the  service. 
Thus  it  is  to  be  seen  that  Huron  Presbytery  was  loyal  from 
centre  to  circumference,  awake  to  the  highest  interests  of  the 
country,  in  full  sympathy  with  the  President  and  the  suffering 
soldiers,  and  longing  for  the  day  when  slavery  would  cease  to 
blot  the  fair  fame  of  the  Republic. 


in.    THE  STATE  OF  THE  CHURCHES. 

During  the  earlier  years  of  this  decade  the  narratives  of  the 
state  of  religion  present  the  fact  that  in  the  midst  of  the  ex- 
citements of  war  the  churches  were  more  than  holding  their 


220  HISTORY  OF  HURON  PRESBYTERY. 

own.  No  revivals  had  occurred,  yet  some  of  the  churches  had 
enjoyed  something  like  gentle  refreshings.  The  Sabbath 
schools,  the  Bible  classes,  the  study  of  the  Catechism,  and  the 
manifestation  of  an  awakened  missionary  spirit,  indicated  a 
hopeful  state  of  things. 

THOUGHTS  FOR  THE  WORLD. 

It  is  an  interesting  fact  that  in  the  midst  of  all  that  was 
transpiring  in  the  land,  in  many  respects  so  little  resembling 
the  spirit  of  the  religion  of  the  Meek  and  Lowly  One ;  in  the 
solicitude  for  sons  and  brothers,  and  in  patriotic  care  for  the 
country,  there  w^as  yet  time  and  heart  and  faith  for  thought 
for  the  conversion  of  the  world  to  God,  and  for  the  salvation  of 
the  lost  in  all  lands. 

The  General  Assembly  in  May,  1862,  had  devoted  earnest  at- 
tention to  the  work  of  missions.  They  had  called  the  ministers 
and  churches  to  special,  earnest  prayer  for  mankind.  At  the 
September  meeting  of  the  Presbytery  these  proceedings  of  the 
Assembly  were  reviewed,  and  the  action  of  that  body,  as  they 
recommended  the  observance  of  the  first  JNIonda}'  in  January 
as  a  day  of  united  prayer  for  the  conversion  of  the  world,  the 
first  week  in  January  as  a  season  of  prayer  for  the  revival  of 
religion,  and  the  last  Thursday  of  February  as  a  day  of  prayer 
for  the  institutions  of  learning  and  for  the  youth  in  our  land — 
all  this  was  heartily  approved  and  the  recommendations  were 
adopted. 

Foreign  missions  were  not  forgotten,  and  home  missions 
also  received  attention. 

Collections  for  these  objects  were  urged  upon  the  churches 
and  were  taken  up  as  before,  and  the  spirit  of  liberality  was 
evidently  developed  from  year  to  year. 

HELP  FOR  REV.  H.  S.  TAYLOR'S  CHURCH. 

In  addition  to  this,  to  the  calls  for  contributions  for  the 
Church  at  home  and  abroad,  and  for  the  suffering  soldiers,  a 


A   GOOD    YEAR.  221 

special  effort  was  made  to  respond  to  a  request  made  by  Rev. 
H,  S.  Taylor,  a  member  of  the  Presbytery  and  a  missionary  of 
the  Madura  Mission  in  India,  that  aid  be  furnished  to  build  a 
church  within  the  bounds  of  his  labors.  The  ministers  and 
delegates  at  the  April  meeting  in  1863  agreed  to  see  to  it  that 
a  subscription  be  raised  in  their  several  churches  to  aid  Mr. 
Taylor,  and  the  stated  clerk  was  directed  to  inform  the 
ministers  then  absent  of  this  resolution.  The  amount  raised 
for  this  object  has  not  been  stated,  and  we  are  left  to  conjecture 
what  may  have  been  the  meaning  of  the  action  of  the  body  at 
its  next  meeting  in  September,  when  the  reports  from  the 
churches  were  received  regarding  it,  and  it  was  resolved  to  sus- 
pend further  collections.  Had  the  response  been  so  abundant 
that  it  became  necessary  to  cry  "  Stay,  stay ! "  or  was  there 
some  other  reason  for  this  decision  ? 

The  courage  of  the  ministers  in  these  dark  days,  which 
enabled  them  to  present  to  their  congregations  so  many  urgent 
calls  for  their  contributions  is,  to  say  the  least,  worthy  of  esteem. 
But  we  know  it  was  good  for  the  people,  and,  besides,  those 
were  the  days  when  money  for  such  purposes  was  abundant. 
The  demand  was,  through  a  wise  Providence,  met  by  the 
supply,  and  the  nation  and  the  churches  were  learning  to  give. 


A  GOOD  YEAR. 

The  war  was  ended  in  1865.  Hearts  were  yet  sore  and  pains 
were  yet  felt,  but  the  end  had  come  to  the  four  years  of  strife 
and  blood.  When  it  did  come  all  gave  thanks  to  God,  rejoicing. 
His  people  declared  their  confidence  in  Him  anew.  The  Pres- 
bytery, from  whose  churches  many  had  gone  to  the  field  of 
carnage  and  some  to  the  soldier's  grave,  rejoiced  in  the  nation's 
deliverance.  They  were  also  happily  hopeful  in  view  of  the 
ever-brightening  prospects  of  the  great  Church  Reunion. 

There  was  great  thankfulness  and  great  hope  and  earnest 
prayer.  Along  with  all  this  God's  rich  blessing  hung  over  the 
churches,  and  very  soon  after  the  closing  of  the  war  the  drops 


222  JIISrORY  OF  HURON  PRESBYTERY. 

of  blessing  began  to  fall  here  and  there.  The  dews  had  been 
gently  distilling,  as  we  have  seen,  even  during  the  dreadful 
state  of  the  country.  •' 

The  narratives  all  speak  in  hopeful,  grateful  terms;  but  the 
narrative  adopted  at  the  April  meeting  in  1S66  was  an 
unusually  lengthy  one.  It  is  one  continuous  story  of  the 
wonders  God  had  wrought  and  of  the  deep  and  touching 
interest  in  the  churches.  Beginning  very  soon  after  the  close 
of  the  war  in  1865,  the  precious  drops  of  Divine  Grace  began 
to  fall  upon  several  of  the  fields.  But  few  of  them,  indeed, 
failed  to  receive  some  token  of  love  and  power.  The  dreary 
din  and  noise  of  conflict  had  been  followed  by  the  shoutings 
of  "  Grace,  grace  unto  it !  " 

"  Never  before,"  says  the  thrilling  narrative,  "  were  our 
churches  generally  in  a  more  prosperous  condition."  Eight  of 
them  had  enjoyed  marked  revivals  of  religion.  These  were 
Plymouth,  Lyme,  Monroeville,  Milan,  Norwalk,  Sandusky, 
Bloomville,  and  Republic.  Fremont  also  had  received  some- 
thing of  an  awakening.  The  work  at  Plymouth  and  Milan 
seems  to  have  been  especially  deep  and  extensive.  Other 
churches  of  other  denominations  in  the  regions  about  were 
quickened,  and  to  them,  also,  numbers  were  added. 

The  narrative  closes  with  the  following  summary : — 

"  The  Presbytery  consists  of  seventeen  ministers ;  of  these 
four  are  pastors,  one  is  a  pastor-elect,  two  are  foreign  mission- 
aries, four  are  stated  supplies,  one  is  agent,  and  five  are  without 
charge. 

"  There  are  15  churches  belonging  to  the  Presbytery.  All 
but  two  or  three  of  these  enjoy  the  means  of  grace  statedly 
and  without  dependence  on  the  home  missionary  aid.  One 
hundred  and  eighty-three  persons  have  been  added  on  profes- 
sion of  their  faith  and  55  by  letter.  The  whole  member- 
ship now  numbers  1390.  Besides  these  there  are  between 
100  and  125  converts  who  have  not  yet  united  with  any  of 
the  churches.  Eighty-four  adults  have  been  baptized  and  50 
infants. 


THE  CONFESSION  SIMPLIFIED.  223 

"  The  expenditures  of  money  for  all  purposes  in  the  churches 
amounted  to  $21,390." 

This  was  not  in  the  estimate  of  figures  so  great  a  work  as 
many  another  region  has  reported ;  yet,  in  itself,  it  was  a  great 
consummation.  It  revealed  a  happy  religious  condition,  and, 
in  view  of  it  all,  the  heart  of  any  child  of  God  will  be  in  sym- 
pathy with  the  Presbytery,  when  they  exclaim,  "  Not  unto  us, 
O  Lord !  not  unto  us,  but  unto  Thy  name  be  all  the  glory." 

The  churches  continued  to  be  fairly  prosperous  until  the  re- 
union, when  the  number  of  members — in  1866,  1390 — was  in- 
creased to  1728. 

CHURCH  ENTERPRISE. 

Following  upon  this  interesting  condition  of  the  churches, 
there  was  an  awakened  spirit  of  church  enterprise  manifested 
in  the  way  of  material  improvement,  in  some  of  the  most  im- 
portant churches  of  the  Presbytery. 

The  congregations  of  Norwalk  and  Fremont  replaced  their 
old  houses  of  worship  with  new,  and  both  substantial  and 
elegant  sanctuaries.  The  church  of  Clyde  erected  for  itself  a 
comfortable  church  home.  Olena  had  but  several  years  previous 
erected  a  new  house  of  worship,  and  in  1868  secured  a  com- 
fortable parsonage.  Other  congregations  were  repairing  their 
sanctuaries.  The  church  of  Tiffin  also — soon  to  be  enrolled 
again,  as  in  years  past,  under  the  care  of  Huron  Presbytery — 
was  taking  trembling  but  vigorous  steps  to  secure  a  new,  a 
better,  and  especially  a  better-located,  house  of  worship. 


THE  CONFESSION  SIMPLIFIED. 

In  1867  the  church  of  Fremont  overtured  the  Presbytery  to 
recommend  to  the  churches  a  more  brief  and  simple  form  of 
Confession  of  Faith  and  Covenant,  to  be  used  in  the  reception 
of  members  on  profession. 

The  committee,  consisting  of  Messrs.  Walter  and  Hart,  min- 
isters,  and  Mr.  Kennan,  elder,  to   whom   the    overture   was 


224  HISTORY  OF  HURON  PRESBYTERY. 

referred,  did  not  deem  it  expedient  to  change  tlie  existing  form 
in  use  in  the  Presbytery,  but  advised  that  churches  that  wished 
a  change  might  adopt  a  form  of  their  own,  provided,  however, 
that  in  no  case  should  such  form  of  Covenant  or  Confession  con- 
flict with  the  Westminster  Confession  of  Faith.  To  this  wise 
decision  and  precautionary  proviso  the  body  agreed,  and  the 
privilege  was  granted  to  each  church  so  desiring  to  shorten  the 
process  of  receiving  members  on  profession  of  faith. 

This  is  one  of  the  differences  now  to  be  noted  between  the 
churches  of  tlie  present  time  and  those  of  a  quarter  or  half 
century  ago.  Instead  of  tlie  lengthy,  catechetical,  and  doc- 
trinal examinations  of  earlier  days,  the  disposition  now  is 
mainly  to  test  candidates  for  church  membership  upon  the 
question  of  their  simple  and  saving  faith  in  the  Lord  Jesus 
Christ.  This,  together  wdth  the  covenant  engagement  to  be 
faithful  to  God  and  dutiful  toward  the  Church  and  in  the 
world,  constitutes  the  main  and  only  test  in  the  examination  and 
reception  of  church  members.  The  first  step  in  this  direction 
was  taken  by  this  Presbytery  when  the  right  was  granted  to 
the  several  churches  to  decide  for  themselves  what  to  expect  of 
those  making  a  profession  of  their  faith. 


IV.    THE  REUNION. 

While  the  flames  of  civil  war  were  raging,  another  matter  of 
a  very  different  kind  was  rising  into  being.  It  was  the  question 
of  the  reunion  of  the  New  and  Old  School  branches  of  the  Pres- 
byterian Church. 

Did  the  fact  of  the  civil  strife  help  it?  It  had  its  influence. 
The  troubles  over  the  slavery  question  w'ere  being  put  out  of 
the  way.  The  Church  of  the  South  was  withdrawn  from  the 
Church  of  the  North ;  and  a  kindred  feeling  drew^  the  two 
branches  of  the  one  Church  in  the  North  closer  to  each  other. 
The  spirit  of  union  was  in  the  air.  There  were  on  both  sides 
some  good  men  who  were  slow  to  move.  They  must  pick  their 
way  over  every  inch  of  the  ground.     We  cannot  fault  them. 


THE  REUNION.  225 

On  the  other  hand,  there  were  multitudes  in  both  branches  of 
this  great  denomination  who  felt  at  once  that  reunion  ought  to 
come.  Only  they  would  be  wise,  and  not  too  hasty.  The  feel- 
ing prevailed  that  the  differences  were  not  enough  to  keep  the 
churches  apart,  and  the  hearts  came  together  before  the  heads 
did.  It  was,  however,  a  matter  for  reasoning.  There  were 
many  localities  where  little  churches  of  both  branches  were 
struggling  to  live  and  to  grow ;  and  one  must  grow,  if  grow  it 
did,  at  the  expense  of  the  other. 

Ministers  and  people  were  awaking  to  ask  :  "  Why  should 
this  be  so  ?"  And  prayers  were  going  up  in  spite  of  the  terrors 
of  war — yes,  more  earnest  because  of  the  war — with  eyes  upon 
this  denominational  sore.  And  out  over  the  land  thoughts 
and  prayers  merged  into  the  general  feeling  that  the  differences 
were  not  simply  little,  they  were  nothing.  Hearts  and  heads,  of 
ministers  and  people,  were  learning  to  say,  "  Let  us  be  one,  for 
we  are  brethren." 

It  did  not  take  long  for  the  members  of  Huron  Presbytery — 
this  little  Presbytery  that  had  been  sadly  grieved  at  the  stroke  of 
the  exscinding  knife,  who  felt  and  said  that  it  had  wTonged  them, 
not  knowing  them — to  say  where  they  stood  when  the  question 
of  reunion  was  once  raised. 

They  seemed  to  have  hailed  the  first  warm  breeze  that  blew 
in  this  direction  with  gladness  and  gratitude  to  God.  They 
did  not  say  much ;  at  least  the  records  of  the  body  were  not 
burdened  with  words  or  with  lengthy  resolutions.  They  do 
say,  however,  that  they  approve  of  the  steps  taken  in  this  direc- 
tion. They  refer  "  with  gladness  to  the  correspondence  which 
had  been  inaugurated  between  the  two  Assemblies,  and  express 
the  hope  that  it  may  lead  to  most  blessed  results." 

Thus  they  set  in  with  the  first  tide  that  was  bearing  toward 
reunion ;  and  they  did  not  cease  to  ride  upon  each  recurring 
wave  until  they  had  finally,  after  a  few  years  of  writing  and 
speech-making,  reached  the  object  of  their  hope. 

We  find  upon  their  records  no  word  of  opposition,  none  that 
would  even  cause  delay.     It  was  not  with  them  a  personal 

15 


226  HISTORY  OF  HURON  PRESBYTERY. 

matter  in  any  selfish  sense.  They  had  under  their  care  all  the 
Presl)yterian  churclies  within  their  bounds  save  one  or  two, 
and  there  was  nowhere  among  them  an  Old  School  church 
to  rival  one  of  their  own.  They  might  even,  and  they  did,  lose 
several  churches  that  went  to  the  Congregationalist  Association 
when  tlic  reunion  came.  But  they  wanted  it  for  all  that,  be- 
cause it  was  right,  and  because  they  looked  out  to  the  Church 
as  a  whole  in  its  work  in  this  broad  land  and  its  work  in  be- 
half of  missions.  It  was  before  them,  as  an  object  of  hope,  from 
1863  until  it  finally  came. 

At  the  April  meeting  in  1869,  as  it  was  just  before  the  meet- 
ing of  the  two  Assemblies,  when  the  question  might  be  decided, 
and  as  the  Assemblies  of  the  preceding  year  had  sent  down  a 
proposition,  or  propositions,  naming  a  basis  for  the  reunion, 
upon  which  the  presbyteries  were  expected  to  vote,  this  body 
gave  its  expression  as  follows : — 

"  1st.  We  do  hereby  signify  to  the  General  Assembly  our 
consent  to  reunion  on  the  basis  overtured  to  the  presbyteries 
by  the  last  Assembly ;  or  on  the  basis  of  the  standards  pure 
and  simple ;  or  according  to  the  recommendation  of  our  own 
reunion  committee  at  their  last  meeting,  as  may  be  most  satis- 
factory to  the  majority. 

"  2d.  We  also  say  to  the  General  Assembly  that  in  any  case 
we  shall  always  claim  the  right,  according  to  the  Constitution 
of  the  Church  and  'the  Plan  of  Union,'  to  deal  with  the  Con- 
gregational churches  now  on  our  roll  without  interference  from 
the  higher  judicatories  of  the  Church." 

Rev.  E.  Bushnell,  d.  d.,  was  the  author  of  this  paper.  It  will 
appear  at  a  glance  that  the  spirit  of  these  two  declarations  is 
somewhat  diverse,  the  one  from  the  other.  In  the  first  the 
Presbytery  is  openly  and  heartily  in  favor  of  the  reunion  upon 
either  proposed  basis,  as  the  majorit}^  of  the  two  Assemblies 
might  decide. 

But  in  the  second  declaration  they,  with  a  positive  and  de- 
termined spirit,  set  up  their  one  right,  in  which  they  say  that  in 
any  case  they  will  not  be  interfered  with  by  the  higher  judica- 


THE  REUNION.  227 

tories  of  the  Church.     This  right  they  will  carry  with  them 
into  the  reunion  on  any  basis. 

This  resolution  looks  more  un-Presbyterian  than  it  really  is, 
and  there  is  no  doubt  that  the  spirit  that  prompted  it  was  the 
most  noble  and  Christian.  It  must  still  be  remembered  that 
these  ministers  and  elders,  though  really  Presbyterian  in  heart 
and  head,  realized  one  obligation  resting  on  them  regarding 
the  few  Congregational  churches  which  still  hung  to  them. 
The  rest  of  the  great  Presbyterian  body  might  not  sympathize 
with  them  in  this,  but  in  their  hearts  they  purposed  to  be  true. 
If  there  were  but  several  of  such  churches  which  reunion 
might  set  out  in  the  cold,  these  good  men  would  say  in  substance : 
"  While  we  will  go  heart  and  hand  with  the  reunited  Church, 
yet  we  cannot  forsake  or  treat  in  other  than  the  most  honorable 
manner  these  several  churches."  They  wanted  the  Assembly 
to  think  of  that,  and  not  to  propose  to  interfere  with  their  sense 
of  right  in  this  sacred  matter.  They  felt  the  force  of  their  own 
circumstances — circumstances  which  had  been  about  the  Pres- 
bytery all  down  its  history — as  the  great  outside  world  could 
not  readily  feel  them.  The  one  thing  prominent  in  this  declara- 
tion, and  prominent  in  every  act  of  Huron  Presbytery  where 
the  matter  had  the  least  occasion  to  come  up,  is  that  this  body 
realizes  its  own  peculiar  environments.  There  is  this  fact  that 
makes  the  history  of  the  Presbytery  a  unit.  The  body  always 
remembers,  as  with  a  delicate  moral  sense,  the  one  fact  that  it 
and  its  churches  were  organized  under  the  "  Plan  of  Union," 
and  that  this  fact  brought  with  it  special  moral  and  Christian 
obligations.  These  obligations  held  so  long  as  Congregational 
churches  continued  to  be  a  faithful  and  true  part  of  the  Presby- 
tery. So  when  they  seemed  to  be  self-willed  these  brethren 
simply  meant  to  say :  "  We  cannot  set  aside  our  high  sense  of 
right  or  the  letter  of  law  in  our  very  Constitution,  which  binds 
us."  If  they  were  to  be  set  free  from  the  trammels  imposed  by 
the  Plan  of  Union  they  wanted  to  be  sure  that  they  had  acted 
honorably  and  right  in  the  matter.     They  would  not  be  untrue 


228  HISTORY  OF  HURON  PRESBYTERY. 

to  one  little  church  which  had  for  years  been  a  part  and  a  care 
of  the  body.  It  is  a  matter  of  gratitude,  however,  that  this 
question  of  dealing  with  the  few  Congregationalist  churches 
which  had  not  already  sloughed  off  from  the  presbyteries  and 
set  up  for  themselves  found  an  easy  and  satisfactory  solution. 
They  were  not  in  any  case  dealt  with  unkindly  or  to  their  loss, 
and  we  believe  they  have  never  complained.  They  had  time 
given  them  to  think  and  talk  the  matter  over,  and  then  they 
were  to  decide  whether  they  would  be  thorouglily  Congrega- 
tional or  more  decidedly  Presbyterian. 

The  several  of  such  churches  in  Huron  Presbj'tery  relieved 
it  of  any  difficulty  or  unpleasantness  by  simply,  in  the  course 
of  time,  declaring  for  Congregationalism,  and  so  by  withdraw- 
ing from  the  Presbytery. 

This  was  done,  we  believe,  in  each  case  in  the  spirit  of  broth- 
erliness. 

Thus  ended  the  incubus  that  had  so  long  and  so  conscien- 
tiously been  borne,  of  the  historic  "  Plan  of  Union."  It  was  to  be 
henceforth  a  thing  of  the  past.  Congregationalism  is  now  Con- 
gregationalism, and  Presbyterianism  is  Presbyterianism. 

Still,  there  continues  between  the  two  great  denominations  a 
genuine  fraternity,  and  ministers  and  members  pass  readily 
from  one  body  to  the  other.  The  Presbytery  accords  a  hearty 
w^elcome  to  the  Congregationalist  minister  who  comes  into  its 
membership  and  serves  any  of  its  churches. 

Any  fear  of  independency  that  might  have  been  suggested 
by  the  Presbytery's  second  declaration  was  never  realized  and 
was  never  intended. 

Upon  the  final  question,  sent  down  by  the  two  Assemblies  of 
1869,  of  reunion  upon  the  standard  spure  and  simple,  this  body 
voted  a  hearty  affirmative ;  and  then,  when  in  the  fall  of  1809 
the  long-prayed-for  reunion  did  become,  under  the  blessing  of 
God,  an  accomplished  fact,  ministers,  elders,  and  churches 
immediately  fell  into  line  in  the  performance  of  the  duties 
required  by  the  terms  of  the  reunion  act. 


READJUST3IENT  OF  PRESBYTERY.  229 

READJUSTMENT  OF  PRESBYTERY. 

Very  soon  the  questions  began  to  be  asked :  What  are  to  be 
the  new  relations  ?  Where  are  to  be  the  new  presbyterial  and 
synodical  boundaries  ? 

These  questions  were  asked,  in  some  instances,  with  a  good 
deal  of  interest,  as  men  would  quite  naturally  have  their  prefer- 
ences. 

The  members  of  Huron  Presbytery  hoped  that  they  might 
be  left  largely  in  the  old  relationships  of  churches,  Presbytery, 
and  Synod.  They  preferred  to  be  left  with  their  old  Synod  of 
Western  Reserve. 

Yet  they  were  disposed  to  be  submissive  to  whatever  might 
be  deemed  the  most  satisfactory  adjustment.  This  spirit  of 
submission  was  found  to  be  essential,  as  their  faces  had  to  be 
turned  westward,  and  Huron  Presbytery  was  to  become  a  part 
of  the  new  Synod  of  Toledo.  The  Presbytery,  however,  was 
allowed,  greatly  to  her  satisfaction,  to  remain  undivided.  The 
only  change  made  was  that  this  body  calmly  took  to  herself 
what  she  already  enveloped,  the  churches  of  Fostoria,  Tiffin, 
and  Elmore,  with  McCutchenville,  whose  membership  was 
largely  within  her  bounds,  although  the  house  of  worship  was 
in  another  presbyterial  territory,  and  ministers  R.  B.  Moore, 
pastor  of  the  Tiffin  church,  and  William  McClaren,  d.  d.,  pas- 
tor of  that  of  Fostoria. 

This  was  the  result  of  the  action  of  the  Synod  of  Toledo, 
which  met  at  Lima,  Ohio,  on  the  21st  of  June,  1870,  b}'^  order 
of  the  General  Assembly.  At  this  meeting  the  committee 
appointed  to  consider  the  subject  of  the  reconstruction  of  the 
presbyteries  in  the  bounds  of  the  Synod  of  Toledo,  and  to  de- 
fine the  boundaries  thereof,  reported  that  the  Presbytery  of 
Huron  should  consist  of  the  ministers  and  churches  of  Huron, 
Erie,  Sandusky,  and  Ottawa  counties,  including,  also,  the 
church  of  McCutchensville,  in  Wyandot  County.  Their  report 
was  adopted.  This  arrangement  left  the  boundaries  of  the 
Presbytery  unchanged,  as  the  dissolution  of  the  Presbytery  of 


230  HISTORY  OF  HURON  PRESBYTERY 

Elyria,  in  1800,  luul  already  restored  to  tliis  body  the  eastern 
range  of  townsliips  in  Huron  and  Erie  counties. 

From  first  to  last,  through  all  the  six  changes  through  which 
the  boundaries  of  the  Presbyter}^  have  passed,  Huron  County 
has  remained  as  the  rallying  ground  of  the  body.  At  one  time 
this  one  county  constituted  the  whole  of  the  presbyterial  terri- 
tory, though  it  then  included  what  is  now  Erie  County,  which 
had  also  always  been  a  part  of  this  territory.  Huron  is,  there- 
fore, appropriately  the  name  of  the  body. 

As  already  seen,  the  reunion  brought  to  this  Presbytery  two 
ministers  and  four  churches.  As  the  result,  however,  of  this 
reunion,  in  course  of  time  four  churches  withdrew  to  the  Con- 
gregational Association ;  another — that  of  Plymouth — was  after- 
ward dismissed  to  the  Presbytery  of  Wooster ;  but  with  these 
churches  all  included  in  the  readjustment  the  year  1870  closed. 


CHAPTER  X.— FROM  1871  TO  1892. 

I.  THE  NEW  STATUS. 

At  the  meeting  of  Presbytery,  April  11,  1871,  the  roll  reck- 
oned, as  stated  above,  twenty-three  ministers,  and  there  were 
at  this  time  three  candidates  for  the  ministry. 

The  names  of  the  ministers  were  as  follows :  H.  S.  Taylor,  E. 
Conger,  Marcus  Palmer,  Joel  Talcott,  A.  C.  Dubois,  S.  Mont- 
gomery, A.  Newton,  d.  d.,  William  McClaren,  d.d.,  M.  Elliott, 
D.  W/Marvin,  F.  S.  White,  L.  Bissell,  E.  Bushnell,  d.d.,  A. 
Huntington,  J.  K.  Kost,  J.  S.  Edwards,  J.  H.  Walter,  R.  B. 
Moore,  J.  T.  Pollock,  W.  T.  Hart,  J.  S.  McCoy,  T.  D.  Bartholo- 
mew, and  H.  H.  Rice. 

Of  these  six  were  infirm  and  without  charge,  namely,  E. 
Conger,  M.  Palmer,  J.  Talcott,  A.  C.  Dubois,  S.  Montgomery, 
and  A.  Huntington ;  one,  F.  S.  White,  was  honorably  retired ; 
one,  A.  Newton,  was  pastor  emeritus,  and  was  acting  as  agent 
for  Hudson  College ;  two,  L.  Bissell  and  H.  S.  Taylor,  were 
foreio;n  missionaries  in  India.  The  other  thirteen  were  all 
actively  engaged,  either  as  pastors  or  as  stated  supplies,  in  the 
Presbytery. 

There  were  twenty-two  churches,  namely :  Fostoria,  Marga- 
retta,  Fremont,  Plymouth,  Milan,  Monroeville,  Tiffin,  Lyme, 
Sandusky,  Olena,  Peru,  Norwalk,  Huron,  Florence,  Birming- 
ham, Bloomville,  Melmore,  Clyde,  McCutchensville,  Elmore, 
Republic,  and  Green  Spring. 

These  churches  had  in  all  1728  members.  Only  one,  Milan, 
had  a  membership  of  above  two  hundred.  It  had  204,  Nor- 
walk 186,  Fremont  180,  and  Sandusky  170.  The  smallest  was 
Elmore,  with  ten  members.  The  churches  of  Norwalk,  Fre- 
mont, Tiffin,  and  Clyde  had  entered,  or  were  about  to  tnter, 
new  houses  of  worship. 

231 


232  HISTORY  OF  HURON  PRESBYTERY. 

Tlie  contributions  for  benevolence  reported  for  the  then  clos- 
ing year  were:  for  home  missions,  $938;  for  foreign  missions, 
$1038.  To  both  of  these  objects  the  largest  contributor  was 
Tiffin  church,  which  gave  to  home  missions  $471  and  to  for- 
eign missions  $478 ;  most  of  this  was,  however,  the  legacy  of 
Mrs.  Thomas  Loyd,  who  had  recently  deceased. 

To  the  Board  of  Education  there  was  given  $1158,  the  church 
of  Sandusky  having  given  $481  of  this.  To  publication  there 
was  contributed  $189 ;  to  church  erection,  $84 ;  to  the  Disabled 
Ministers'  Fund,  $51;  to  freedmen,  $130;  to  the  General  As- 
sembly Fund,  $93 ;  to  congregational  expenses,  $22,916,  and 
to  miscellany,  $944.  The  whole  sum  amounted  to  $27,591. 
Of  this  sum  the  Boards  received  $3638. 

Thus  the  Presbytery  of  Huron,  under  the  arrangements  con- 
sequent upon  the  reunion,  was  fairly  organized,  with  the 
above-named  ministers,  and  read}-^  and  disposed  for  aggressive 
work  for  the  Master.  There  was  a  disposition  to  contribute  to 
the  various  objects  of  denominational  benevolence,  and  also  to 
keep  abreast  of  the  times  in  material  improvement  at  home. 
There  was,  however,  room  for  great  enlargement  of  view  in 
regard  to  the  kingdom  of  Christ  and  the  measure  of  Christian 
giving  in  the  churches. 


11.  CHRONICLES  OF  THIS  PERIOD. 

Two  ministers,  H.  S.  Taylor  and  Eldad  Barber,  during  the 
year  1871  passed  from  the  roll  by  death.  On  the  12th  of  April 
Rev.  H.  B.  T>yQ  was  dismissed  to  the  Presbytery  of  Maumee, 
and  Rev.  W.  M.  Newton  to  that  of  Osage,  Mo. 

On  the  30th  of  May  Mr,  E.  R.  Chase,  a  licentiate,  was 
received  from  the  Elgin  Association,  of  Illinois,  and  examined 
with  a  view  to  his  ordination.  He  passed  his  examinations 
satisfactorily  and  was  ordained  at  Clyde  on  the  20th  of  June 
following  and  took  charge  of  the  Clyde  Church. 

On  the  13th  of  October  Rev.  H.  Laurence  again  became  a 
member  of  the  body,  by  letter  from  the  Cleveland  Presbytery. 


LY3IE   CHURCH.  233 

On  the  10th  of  April,  1872,  Rev.  A.  Newton,  d.  d.,  who  had 
been  the  stated  clerk  of  the  body  since  1851,  resigned  that 
position  and  Rev.  E.  Biishnell,  d.  d.,  was  chosen  to  fill  the 
office  in  his  stead. 

On  the  same  day  Rev.  Joseph  Edwards  was  dismissed  to  the 
Presbytery  of  Cleveland,  and  as  Rev.  M.  Elliott  was  really  a 
member  of  that  Presbytery  his  name  was  dropped  from  the 
roll  of  Huron. 

The  Rev.  R.  B.  Moore  resigned  the  pastorate  of  the  Tiffin 
church. 

On  the  29th  of  April  Rev.  E.  R.  Chase  was  installed  pastor 
of  the  church  in  Clyde,  the  Rev.  S.  C.  Kerr  was  received  from 
the  Presbytery  of  Lima,  and  Rev.  A.  Baker  from  that  of 
Rochester. 

On  the  next  day,  April  30th,  at  Fostoria,  Mr.  J.  Emory 
Fisher,  a  licentiate,  was  received  from  the  Presbytery  of  Fort 
Wayne,  and,  after  the  usual  examinations,  was  ordained  to  tlie 
ministry,  taking  charge  of  the  Fostoria  church. 

LYME  CHURCH. 

At  the  same  time,  the  church  of  Lyme  having  requested  at 
a  previous  meeting  that  her  relation  to  the  Presbytery  be  dis- 
solved, the  request  was  considered  and  granted.  This  was  a 
request  resulting  from  the  terms  of  the  reunion  between  the 
two  Assemblies.  It  had  been  specified,  in  order  to  avoid  future 
misunderstanding,  in  the  terms  of  the  reunion  that  within  a 
certain  time  the  churches  of  a  mixed  order  should  either  adopt 
the  Presbyterian  form  of  government  or  secede  to  Congrega- 
tionalism. 

The  church  of  Lyme  had  been  under  the  care  of  Huron 
Presbytery  through  almost  the  entire  period  of  its  history.  Yet 
it  was  more  Congregational  than  Presbyterian,  and  consequently 
it  preferred  to  join  the  Association. 

During  the  year  1872  three  ministerial  names  are  dropped 
from  the  roll  in  consequence  of  death,  namely,  Rev.  Joel 
Talcott,  Rev.  E.  Conger,  and  Rev.  A.  Huntington. 


234  HISTORY  OF  HURON  PRESBYTERY. 

In  1873  the  following  changes  occurred  : — 

Rev.  J.  Emory  Fisher  retired  from  the  church  of  Fostoria. 
On  the  3d  of  June  Rev.  David  Vandyke  was  received  from  the 
Presbytery  of  Portsmouth  and  installed  pastor  of  this  church. 
At  the  same  time  Mr.  J.  J.  Hawk,  a  licentiate,  was  received 
from  the  Presbyter}''  of  Kittanning ;  he  was  examined  in  part 
with  a  view  to  ordination ;  his  examinations  were  completed 
on  the  day  following  at  Bloomville ;  the  whole  was  sustained 
and  he  was  ordained  and  installed  pastor  of  the  united 
churches  of  Bloomville  and  Melmore. 

Rev.  R.  B.  Moore  was,  June  4tli,  dismissed  to  the  Presbytery 
of  Bellefontaine. 

June  17th  Rev.  S.  C.  Kerr  was  dismissed  to  the  Presbytery 
of  Columbus. 

September  10th  Rev.  C.  K.  Smoyer  was  received  from  the 
Presbyter}'  of  Alton  and  Rev.  M.  C.  Williams  from  that  of 
Rock  River. 

Rev.  J.  T.  Pollock  was  installed  pastor  of  the  church  in 
Tiffin  on  the  28th  of  October. 

On  the  10th  of  October  Rev.  Wm.  McClaren,  d.  d.,  was  dis- 
missed to  the  Presbytery  of  Marion. 

In  1874,  April  15th,  Rev.  J.  Emory  Fisher  was  dismissed  to 
the  Presbytery  of  Fort  Wayne  and  Mr.  R.  E.  Cutler,  a  candi- 
date under  care  of  Presbytery,  was  transferred  to  the  Presbytery 
of  Lyons. 

Death  again  removes  a  member,  Rev.  E.  R.  Chase,  who  died 
at  Clyde  May  25,  1874. 

On  the  9th  of  September  following  Rev.  A.  M.  Meili  was 
received  from  the  Presbyter}^  of  Wooster  that  he  might  take 
charge,  as  stated  supply,  of  the  church  of  Clyde. 

October  8th  Rev.  C.  AV.  Wallace  was  received  from  the 
Presbytery  of  Saginaw. 

October  9th  Rev.  H.  H.  Rice  was  released  from  the  pastorate 
of  the  Norwalk  church. 

1875.  On  the  14th  of  April  two  other  of  the  churches  that 
w'ere   mainlv   Congreerational   withdrew   to    the    Association. 


1S75-1S7S.  235 

These  were  Margaretta  and  Florence.  On  the  same  day  Rev. 
H.  Lawrence  again  leaves  the  Presbytery,  going  to  Cleveland. 

Rev.  H.  H.  Rice  also  was  dismissed  to  the  Presbytery  of 
Sacramento. 

On  the  4th  of  May  Rev.  J.  J.  Hawk  was  released  from  the 
pastorate  of  the  churches  of  Bloomville  and  Melmore. 

August  15th  the  church  of  Graytown  was  reported  to  Pres- 
bytery as  having  been  organized,  and  was  taken  under  its  care. 

Rev.  B.  B.  Moore  at  this  time  returned  with  a  letter  from  the 
Presbytery  of  Bellefontaine  and  again  became  a  member  of  this 
body. 

On  the  26th  of  October  J.  D.  Williamson,  a  licentiate  of  the 
Congregational  Association  of  Andover,  w'as  received  and  or- 
dained at  Norwalk.  On  the  3d  of  October,  1876,  he  was 
installed  pastor  of  the  Norwalk  Church. 

1876.  April  12th  Rev.  J.  K.  Kost  was  dismissed  to  the 
Presbytery  of  Ft.  Wayne,  Rev.  D.  W.  Marvin  to  the  Presbytery 
of  Genesee,  and  Rev.  J.  J.  Hawk  to  that  of  Kittanning. 

On  the  13th  of  September  Rev.  Walton  Pattinson  was  re- 
ceived from  the  Presbytery  of  Ft.  Wayne. 

October  14th  Rev.  J.  D.  Gehring  was  received  from  the  Tif- 
fin Classis  of  the  Reformed  Church. 

On  the  12th  of  September  the  church  of  Genoa  was  received 
under  presbyterial  care,  it  having  been  organized  in  June 
previous  by  a  committee  consisting  of  Rev.  A.  P.  Johnson,  Rev. 
E.  Bushnell,  d.  d.,  and  Elder  J.  G.  Jaeger. 

On  the  13th  of  September  the  church  of  Plymouth,  at  its 
request,  was  tranferred  to  Wooster  Presbytery. 

1877.  April  17th  Rev.  D.  Van  Dyke  was  released  from  the 
pastorate  of  Fostoria  Church  and  dismissed  to  the  Presbytery 
of  Saginaw. 

September  12th  Rev.  J.  D.  Gehring  was  dismissed  to  the 
Presbytery  of  Milwaukee. 

1878.  April  9th  Rev.  A.  P.  Johnson  was  dismissed  to  the 
Presbyter}^  of  Genesee,  and  on  the  10th  of  April  Rev.  J.  T. 


236  HISTORY  OF  HURON  PRESBYTERY. 

Pollock  was  released  from  the  pastorate  of  the  church  in  Tiffin 
and  dismissed  to  the  Presbytery  of  Maumee.  On  the  same 
day  Rev.  Joseph  Hughes  was  received  from  the  Presbytery  of 
Fort  Wayne. 

April  30th  Rev.  J.  S.  Axtell  was  received  from  the  Presby- 
tery of  Kittanning. 

October  11th  Rev.  A.  Cone  was  received  from  the  Presby- 
tery of  Zanesville,  and  Rev.  C.  W.  Wallace  was  dismissed  to 
the  Presbytery  of  Kalamazoo. 

October  29th  Licentiate  D.  D.  Bigger  was  received  from  the 
Presbytery  of  Logansport. 

1879.  On  the  15th  of  April  Mr.  Bigger  was  ordained  as  an 
evangelist,  serving  the  church  in  Tiffin,  over  which  he  was 
installed,  the  8th  of  October  following,  as  pastor. 

April  8th  Rev.  M.  C.  Williams  was  dismissed  to  the  Presby- 
tery of  Baltimore  and  Rev.  T.  D.  Bartholomew  to  that  of 
Saginaw. 

May  6th  J.  H.  Snow^den,  licentiate,  w^as  received  from  the 
Presbytery  of  Steubenville.  He  was  examined,  ordained,  and 
installed  pastor  of  the  church  in  Huron. 

During  the  year  1879  the  name  of  Rev.  A.  Newton,  d.  d., 
was  dropped  from  the  roll,  he  having  died  on  the  last  day  of 
1878. 

1880.  During  this  year  there  were  no  changes  in  the  mem- 
bership of  Presbytery.  The  churches  were  reported  to  be  in 
good  condition  financially  and  fairly  progressive.  Several  of 
them — Tiffin,  Norwalk,  and  Fostoria — had  been  bearing  bur- 
dens of  debt.  The  debts  upon  the  first  two  named  had  been 
standing  for  some  eight  or  ten  years.  These  burdens,  under  the 
energetic  efforts  of  the  earnest  pastors,  with  smaller  burdens  on 
several  other  of  the  churches,  were  all  removed,  opening  wider 
the  door  of  hope  to  the  churches  thus  relieved. 

The  following  year,  1881,  was  marked  with  changes.  There 
were  three  dismissals,  one  death,  and  two  additions. 

April  13th  Rev.  A.  Baker  w^as  dismissed  to  the  Presbytery 


BEV.   E.   BUSHNELL,  D.  D.  237 

of  Los  Angeles,  Rev.  A.  M.  Meili  to  the  German  Evangelical 
Synod  of  North  America,  and  on  the  14th  of  September  Rev. 
A.  Cone  was  dismissed  to  the  Presbytery  of  Wellsboro. 

May  24th  Rev.  D.  J.  Meese  was  received  from  the  Tiffin 
Classis  of  the  Reformed  Church,  and,  having  already  been 
serving  the  Sandusky  church  acceptably  and  successfully  for 
several  years,  he  was  installed  their  pastor  on  the  27th  of 
October. 

On  the  14th  of  September  Rev.  William  Foulkes  was  re- 
ceived from  the  Presbytery  of  Monroe,  taking  charge  of  the 
church  of  Fostoria  as  pastor-elect. 

On  the  15th  of  February,  this  year,  Rev.  Marcus  Palmer 
died. 

KEV.  E.  BUSHNELL,  D.  D. 

On  the  13th  of  September,  1882,  Rev.  E.  Bushnell,  d.  d.,  re- 
quested that  the  pastoral  relation  which  had  existed  between 
himself  and  the  church  of  Fremont  for  twent3^-five  years  be 
dissolved.  He  had  been  elected  to  the  office  of  treasurer  of 
Adelbert  College  of  Western  Reserve,  at  Cleveland,  Ohio.  This 
office  he  deemed  it  well  for  his  health,  and  wise,  to  accept.  The 
request  w^as  granted  and  the  relation  dissolved.  Dr.  Bushnell 
had  served  the  Presbytery  as  its  stated  clerk  for  ten  years, 
and,  as  he  moved  beyond  the  bounds  of  the  body,  he  also  re- 
signed this  position,  and  Rev.  J.  D.  Williamson  was  chosen  in 
his  place. 

Dr.  Bushnell  still,  however,  continued  a  member  of  the  Pres- 
bytery till  the  following  April,  1 883,  when  he  was  dismissed  to 
the  Cleveland  Presbytery. 

The  Presbytery  of  Huron  expressed  its  deep  regret  at  part- 
ing with  so  faithful  and  valued  a  member.  He  had  belonged 
to  it  for  nearly  twenty-six  years,  nearly  all  this  time  pastor  of 
the  one  church.  And  his  character  and  standing  were  such 
that  no  one  stood  higher  for  scholarship,  intellectual  power,  faith- 
fulness, or  general  influence  in  all  presbyterial  deliberations  than 
did  he.  He  was  honored,  loved,  and  always  heard  with  inter- 
est when  he  spoke.     He  was  a  strong  man,  a  guide  and  leader 


238  HISTORY  OF  HURON  PRESBYTERY. 

in  Presbyteiy,  upon  whom  his  younger  brethren  loved  to  de- 
pend for  sound  judgment.  It  is  an  interesting  fact  that  Dr. 
Bushnell's  wife  is  a  worthy  daughter  of  Rev.  Simeon  Wood- 
ruff, whose  name  is  the  very  first  upon  the  roll  of  the  Presby- 
tery at  its  organization,  and  who  was  appointed  by  the  Synod 
to  preach  the  opening  sermon  and  to  preside  until  another 
moderator  be  chosen.  He  was  also,  in  1830,  one  of  the  first 
members  of  the  Presbytery  of  Cleveland  at  its  formation,  and 
also  one  of  the  first  of  the  Presbytery  of  Kalamazoo,  in  1838, 
at  its  organization. 

REV.  J.  H.  AV ALTER. 

On  tlie  18th  of  October,  1882,  Rev.  J.  H.  Walter  requested 
the  dissolution  of  the  pastoral  relation  existing  between  him- 
self and  the  church  of  Milan.  The  request  was  granted,  and 
Mr.  Walter  was  dismissed  to  the  Presbyter}'  of  Cincinnati.  He 
had  served  the  church  of  Milan  for  more  than  twenty-seven 
years  as  its  pastor.  He  was  at  the  time  of  his  leaving  the  only 
member  of  the  Presbytery  who  had  been  in  it  so  long,  except  the 
missionary  in  India,  Dr.  Bissell,  and  several  others  who  had  for 
some  time  been  inactive.  His  pastorate  at  Milan  had  been 
both  happy  and  successful.  He  was  greatly  beloved  as  a  man, 
a  minister  of  the  Word,  and  as  a  presbyter.  He  is  a  man  of 
very  considerable  ability  and  scholarship,  a  lovely  Christian 
character,  and  a  man  of  exceptional  exaltedness  and  purity  in 
his  tastes  and  in  all  his  words  and  actions. 

He  accepted  a  call  to  the  church  of  Pleasant  Ridge,  in  the 
Presbytery  of  Cincinnati,  and  thither  he  went,  entering  upon 
a  new  field  of  labor,  where  he  is  yet  serving  his  Master  in  his 
loved  employ. 


DR.  BUSHNELL  AND  MR.  WALTER. 

Of  these  two  men  it  cannot  be  unwise  to  say,  while  they  yet 
live  and  are  doing  good  work  in  other  fields,  that  the  impress 
of  their  character  and  work  still  abides  upon  Huron  Presbytery. 


RESmiE.  239 

Friendships  of  years'  continuance  and  circumstances  bring 
them  into  the  line  as  the  real  apostolical  successors  of  the  four 
departed  ones  whose  names  have  been  so  jDrominent  in  these 
pages — A.  Betts,  E.  Judson,  E.  Conger,  and  A.  Newton.  If 
ministers  who  claim  the  right,  before  those  of  all  other  denomi- 
nations than  their  own,  to  be  the  successors  of  the  first  apostles 
could  prove  their  claim  so  well  as  these  two  brethren  could  to 
the  successorship  of  the  four  noble  fathers  named,  they  might 
have  some  real  comfort  in  their  claim.  These  men,  both  of 
them,  may  know  that  in  leaving  they  were  followed,  and  are 
still  held,  in  loving  remembrance  by  the  churches  which  they 
served  so  long  and  so  well,  and  by  the  Presbytery,  where  their 
presence  was  so  long  a  power  for  good. 


RESUME. 

1882.  On  the  18tli  of  October  Rev.  Walton  Pattinson  was 
dismissed  to  the  Presbytery  of  Athens. 

November  14th  Rev.  C.  E.  Barnes  was  received  from  the 
Presbytery  of  Wooster.  He  had  received,  and  now  accepted,  a 
call  to  the  pastorate  of  the  church  of  Fremont,  and  arrange- 
ments were  immediately  made  for  his  installation,  which  ser- 
vice was  performed  a  few  days  later  by  a  committee  appointed 
by  the  Presbytery. 

1883.  January  15th,  Rev.  J.  H.  Snowden  was  released  from 
the  pastoral  relation  existing  between  him  and  the  church  of 
Huron ;  on  the  28th  of  the  same  month  he  was  dismissed  to 
the  Presbytery  of  Wooster. 

On  the  10th  of  April  Rev.  S.  Montgomery  was  dismissed  to 
the  Presbytery  of  Cleveland. 

April  11th  Rev.  W.  L.  Swan  was  received  from  the  Presby- 
tery of  Steubenville,  and  Rev.  E.  L.  Dresser  from  that  of 
Monroe.  Mr.  Swan  accepted  a  call  to  the  pastorate  of  the 
church  of  Milan  and  was  installed  September  12th.  Mr. 
Dresser  took  charge  of  the  church  of  Huron  early  in  the  spring 
of  this  year,  but  only  as  stated  supply. 


240  HISTORY  OF  HURON  PRESBYTERY. 

Rev.  W.  T.  Hart,  who  was  serving  the  church  of  Lyme  at 
the  time  of  its  withdrawal  from  the  Presbytery,  continued  to 
do  so  until  the  fall  of  1881,  when  he  removed  to  Bloomville  as 
stated  supply  of  the  churches  of  Bloomville  and  Melmore. 
On  the  12th  of  September,  1883,  a  call  was  placed  in  his  hands 
from  these  two  churches  to  become  their  pastor.  He  accepted 
the  call  and  was  installed  on  the  8th  of  April,  1884. 

The  church  of  Clyde  was  made  vacant  by  the  removal  of 
Rev.  J.  S.  Axtell  to  Green  Spring,  and  his  assuming  the  charge 
of  the  Academy  at  that  place.  In  a  short  time,  however,  Rev. 
H.  P.  Barnes,  agreeing  to  accept  a  call  to  become  pastor  of  this 
church,  he  was  received  from  the  Presbytery  of  Cleveland. 
His  reception  occurred  on  the  24th  of  October,  1883,  and  soon 
after  he  was  installed  by  a  committee  of  Presbytery. 

1884.  July  7th  the  pastoral  relation  that  had  existed  for 
about  nine  years  between  Rev.  .J.  D.  Williamson  and  the  church 
of  Norwalk  was  dissolved,  and  on  the  loth  of  the  next  April 
Mr.  Williamson  was  dismissed  to  the  Presbytery  of  Mahoning. 

Rev.  William  Foulkes  was  elected  stated  clerk  of  the  Pres- 
bytery in  his  stead. 

1885v  On  the  29th  of  September  Rev.  D.  A.  Heron  was 
received  from  the  Presbytery  of  Union.  A  call  for  his  pas- 
toral services  was  placed  in  his  hands  from  the  church  of 
Elmore,  and  he  was  immediately  installed.  Mr.  Heron  con- 
tinued to  labor  earnestly  in  this  field  for  about  two  years,  when 
the  illness  and  death  of  his  father  called  him  away.  The  rela- 
tion was  dissolved  on  the  10th  of  April,  1888. 

September  29th,  1885,  Rev.  E.  L.  Dresser  was  dismissed  to 
the  Presbytery  of  Central  Dakota. 

November  2d  Rev.  H.  P.  Barnes  was  released  from  the  pas- 
torate of  the  church  of  Clyde,  and  on  the  12tli  of  April,  1887, 
he  was  dismissed  to  the  Presbytery  of  Mahoning. 

December  3d  Rev.  J.  M.  Seymour  was  received  from  the 
Northern  Indiana  Association  of  Congregational  Churches  and 
Ministers.  He  was  installed  pastor  of  the  church  of  Norwalk 
on  the  14th  of  April,  188G. 


BESmiE.  241 

1886.  On  the  13th  of  April  Rev.  J.  S.  Axtell  was  dismissed 
to  the  Presbytery  of  Lima. 

On  the  17th  of  May  Rev.  W.  T.  Hart  resigned  the  pastorate 
of  the  Bloomville  and  Mehnore  churches,  moved  to  Huron  as 
pastor-elect,  and  was,  after  nearly  two  years'  service  in  that 
church,  installed  as  its  pastor  on  the  lOtli  of  April,  1888. 

September  15,  1886,  the  relation  existing  between  Rev.  D.  J. 
Meese  and  the  church  of  Sandusky  was  dissolved,  and  Mr. 
Meese  was  dismissed  to  the  Presbytery  of  Wooster  to  accept  a 
call  to  the  church  in  Mansfield. 

December  27th  Rev.  M.  DeWitt  Long  was  received  from  the 
Presbyter}^  of  Bellefontaine.  He  had  already  entered  upon 
the  work  of  supplying  the  churches  of  Bloomville  and  Repub- 
lic, these  two  churches  having  been  joined  together  in  one 
charge. 

The  field  composed  of  Melmore  and  McCutchenville  churches 
were,  after  considerable  delay  and  discouragement,  finally  suc- 
cessful in  securing  the  services  of  a  minister.  Rev.  William 
Smith  accepted  a  call  to  become  their  pastor,  was  received  into 
the  Presbytery  from  the  Reformed  Church  on  the  10th  of 
April,  1888,  and  was,  on  the  26tli  of  April  following,  installed 
at  both  places  by  a  presbyterial  committee. 

On  the  1st  of  May,  1888,  Rev.  David  Street  began  to  supply 
the  united  churches  of  Clyde  and  Green  Spring,  and  on  the 
25th  of  June  he  was  received  into  the  Presbytery  from  the 
Presbytery  of  Portsmouth.  He  was  dismissed  to  the  Presby- 
tery of  Wooster  April  8,  1890. 

On  the  27th  of  December,  1886,  Mr.  W.  J.  Gerlach,  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Presbyterian  church  in  Tiffin  and  a  student  in  the 
Theological  Seminary  of  Heidelberg  College,  in  Tiffin,  was 
examined  on  the  subject  of  experimental  religion  and  his 
reasons  for  desiring  to  enter  the  ministry,  after  wdiich  he  was 
taken  under  the  care  of  the  Presbytery  as  a  candidate  for  the 
ministerial  office.  He  continued  to  prosecute  his  studies,  going, 
however,  in  a  short  time  to  Lane  Seminary,  at  which  place  he 
16 


242  HISTORY  OF  HURON  PRESBYTERY. 

graduated  in  due  time,  and  was  dismissed  from  Huron  Presby- 
tery, in  the  summer  of  1SS8,  to  accept  a  Michigan  charge.  He 
served  quite  satisfactorily  the  church  of  Genoa  in  tlie  summer 
of  1887. 

On  the  14th  of  September,  1887,  Mr.  Wayne  P.  Smith,  a 
young  man  recently  come  from  Latrobe,  Penna.,  and  now  a 
member  of  the  Presbyterian  Church  of  Tiffin,  after  the  usual 
examination  in  religious  experience  and  reasons  for  desiring  to 
enter  the  ministry  was  taken  under  care  of  the  body  as  a  can- 
didate for  the  sacred  office.  On  the  following  19th  of  the  same 
month,  Mr.  G.  A.  Lawrence,  a  son  of  Mr.  Minor  Lawrence,  an 
elder  in  the  church  of  Peru,  was  also,  after  the  usual  examina- 
tions, received  as  a  candidate  for  the  ministry. 

In  addition  to  these,  Mr.  James  Putnam  O'Brien,  a  member 
of  the  Second  Congregational  Church  of  Oberlin  and  an  alum- 
nus of  both  the  College  and  Seminary  of  Oberlin,  was  examined 
upon  all  the  subjects  requisite  to  entering  the  ministry.  Part 
of  his  examination  took  place  on  the  19th  of  September,  1887, 
when  he  was  taken  under  care  of  Presbytery  as  a  candidate  for 
the  ministry.  He  had  received  a  call  to  the  united  churches 
of  Olena  and  Peru  to  become  their  pastor.  The  call  was  ac- 
cepted conditional  upon  the  will  and  action  of  the  Presbytery, 
and  on  the  31st  of  October  the  examinations  w^ere  completed  ; 
these  being  sustained,  together  with  the  usual  trial  exercises,  he 
was  licensed  to  preach,  then  ordained,  and  installed  pastor  of 
the  two  churches,  all  on  the  same  day. 

About  this  time  Rev.  Daniel  E.  Bierce  entered  upon  the 
work  of  ministering  to  the  church  of  Sandusky,  and  on  the  fol- 
lowing 10th  of  April,  1888,  he  was  received  into  the  body  from 
the  Presbytery  of  Fargo,  Dakota. 

October  31,  1887,  Pev.  C.  K.  Smoyer  was  dismissed  to  the 
Presbytery  of  Southern  Dakota. 

On  the  21st  of  November,  1887,  Rev.  A.  C.  Dubois,  whose  name 
liad  been  upon  the  presbyterial  roll  for  several  years,  died  in 
California.     He  had  been  absent  so  long  as  to  be  unknown  per- 


RESUME.  243 

sonally  to  any  of  the  members  of  the  Presbytery  save  one.  His 
name,  however,  was  honored  in  the  Presbytery  where  he  had 
been  a  prominent  actor. 

At  the  meeting  of  the  Presbytery,  April  10,  1<S88,  two  im- 
portant pastorates  were  resigned  and  the  relations  dissolved — 
that  between  Rev.  W.  L.  Swan  and  the  church  of  Milan,  Mr. 
Swan  being  dismissed  to  the  Presbytery  of  Mahoning,  and  that 
between  Rev.  Wm.  Foulkes  and  the  church  of  Fostoria.  In 
the  latter  case  the  relation  was  only  that  of  pastor-elect.  Mr. 
Foulkes  was  dismissed  to  the  Presbytery  of  Solomon.  On  the 
15th  of  October  Rev.  Henry  Gardner  was  received  from  the 
Presbytery  of  Alton  and  installed  pastor  of  the  church  of  Fos- 
toria. He  resigned  this  charge  November  25,  1891,  and  in  the 
spring  of  1892  accepted  a  call  to  Kokomo,  Ind. 

April  10,  1889,  Rev.  Luther  M.  Kumler  was  received  from 
the  Presbytery  of  Northumberland.  He  became  the  stated 
supply  of  the  church  of  Milan,  over  which  he  was  installed  as 
pastor  the  lOtli  of  September,  1890. 

Rev.  Wm.  Taylor  Jackson  was  received,  after  the  usual 
examination,  from  the  Sandusky  Conference  of  the  United 
Brethren  Church,  April  10, 1889 ;  dismissed,  November  25, 1891, 
to  the  Presbytery  of  Iowa  City.  September  11,  1889,  Rev.  Wm. 
H.  Day  was  received  from  the  Presbytery  of  St.  Clairsville  as 
supply  of  the  church  of  Elmore.  April  12,  1892,  he  was  dis- 
missed to  the  Presbytery  of  Lima.  October  27,  1891,  Rev. 
Harvey  Wilson  was  received  from  the  Presbytery  of  Nebraska. 
He  was  dismissed,  April  12,  1892,  to  the  Presbytery  of  Lima. 
Rev.  Edwin  L.  Anderson  was  received,  October  27,  1891,  from 
the  Genesee  Association  of  Congregational  Churches.  He  has 
charge  of  the  united  churches  of  Chicago  and  Steuben. 

November  25,  1891,  Rev.  George  Wilson  was  received  from 
the  Cleveland  Congregational  Conference,  and  is  the  stated 
supply  of  the  church  of  Clyde. 

April  13,  1892,  Rev.  Charles  R.  Compton  was  received  from 
the  Presbytery  of  Montana.  He  supplied  the  church  of 
Sandusky  for  a  time. 


244  niSTORY  OF  HURON  PRESBYTERY. 

April  8,  1890,  Rev.  A.  P.  Johnson  was  dismissed  to  the  Pres- 
bytery of  Maumee. 

On  the  9th  of  September,  1891,  Rev.  James  P.  O'Brien  was 
dismissed  to  the  St.  Louis  Congregational  Conference  and  Rev. 
M.  DeWitt  Long  to  the  Presbytery  of  Maumee.  Mr.  O'Brien 
had  resigned  liis  charge  of  the  churches  of  Olena  and  Peru  in 
September,  1890,  and  had  served  the  churches  of  Chicago  and 
Steuben  for  about  seven  months.  ]Mr.  Long,  at  the  date  above, 
resigned  his  charge  of  the  churches  of  Bloomville  and  Republic. 

In  October,  1891,  Rev.  Daniel  E.  Bierce  ceased  to  serve  the 
church  of  Sandusky  as  its  stated  supply. 

April  13,  1892,  Rev.  Wm.  Smith  was  released  from  the 
pastorate  of  the  churches  of  Melmore  and  McCutchensville. 
On  the  same  day  Rev.  C.  K.  Smoyer  was  received  from  the 
Presbytery  of  Black  Hills,  having  returned  to  the  church  at 
Elmore  as  its  stated  supply,  having  at  the  same  time  the  charge 
of  the  church  of  Genoa. 


III.    DEATH   AND    IVIEMORIAL. 

During  the  decade,  1871-1881,  death  removed  nearly  as 
many  names  from  the  presbyterial  roll  as  it  had  removed  dur- 
ing all  the  preceding  history  of  the  body.  The  first  removal 
in  this  period  was — 

REV.  H.  S.  TAYLOR. 

He  had  been  for  twenty-seven  years  a  missionary,  under  the 
American  Board  of  Foreign  Missions,  in  India.  He  had  gone 
out  as  a  member  of  Huron  Presbytery,  and  still  continued  his 
nominal  connection  with  it.  In  him  and  in  his  work  this  body 
kept  alive  its  Christian  interest  so  long  as  Mr.  Taylor  lived. 
He  died  February  3, 1871. 

REV.  ELD  AD  BARBER. 

The  next  removed  by  death  was  Mr.  Barber,  who  died  on  the 
27th  of  March,  1871.     Of  this  most  excellent  brother  we  are 


REV.    ELD  AD  BARBER.  245 

glad  to  be  able  to  give  the  following  facts  from  the  pen  of  his 
own  daughter. 

"  He  was  the  son  of  Eldad  and  Lois  Bissell  Barber,  and  was 
born  in  East  Windsor,  Connecticut,  September  24,  1801.  He 
entered  Yale  College,  and  graduated  in  the  class  of  1826.  After 
completing  the  course  in  the  Theological  Seminary,  in  company 
with  his  friend  and  classmate,  Everton  Judson,  he  was  sent  from 
Philadelphia  as  agent  of  the  American  Sunday  School  Union, 
to  establish  the  first  Sabbath-schools  in  Ohio.  They  spent  six 
months  in  this  work,  going  through  the  southern  part  of  the 
State,  starting  from  Marietta  in  October,  1828.  They  each 
traveled  over  two  thousand  miles  on  horseback  through  a  coun- 
try where  the  roads  were  often  simply  bridle  paths  and  all  the 
streams  were  to  be  forded.  Many  Sabbath-schools  were  organ- 
ized. Mr.  Judson's  health  failed,  and  in  the  summer  of  1829 
they  returned  to  Connecticut,  where  they  were  ordained  as  mis- 
sionaries in  Woodbury,  in  company  with  seven  other  young 
men,  by  the  Litchfield  South  Association.  Mr.  Barber  went  to 
Marion,  Ohio,  where  he  preached  nearly  three  years.  There 
he  married  Mary  Ballentine,  September,  1831,  the  sister  of 
Henry  Ballentine,  who  afterward  was  for  thirty  years  mis- 
sionary in  India.  Mary  Ballentine  Barber  died  the  following 
year. 

"  April,  1832,  Mr.  Barber  removed  to  Milan  to  become  princi- 
pal of  the  Huron  Institute,  then  just  organized.  The  object  of 
this  school  was  to  give  young  men  an  opportunity  to  prepare 
themselves  for  college.  It  was  started  on  the  manual  labor 
plan,  with  a  workshop  and  about  twelve  acres  of  land.  This 
plan  was  soon  abandoned.  The  subscription  of  |4000  was  ex- 
hausted before  the  building  was  completed.  Much  labor  and 
sacrifice  were  needed  to  carry  on  the  school.  In  the  enthusi- 
asm of  self-denial  for  the  cause  of  education  the  principal 
assumed  the  responsibility  of  paying  his  own  salary  and  that 
of  his  assistants  from  the  tuition  fees,  at  the  rate  of  four  dollars 
per  term  for  the  classical  course  and  two  dollars  for  the  Eng- 
lish.    A   long   protracted,  and   serious   illness,  the   effects  of 


246  HISTORY  OF  HURON  PRESBYTERY. 

Avliich  always  remained  with  him,  was  the  result,  and  he  was 
obliged  to  resign  the  school  to  others  in  1835.  After  his  recov- 
ery he  preached  two  years  in  Vermillion. 

"  In  tlie  spring  of  1837  he  accepted  a  call  to  the  churcli  in 
Florence,  where  he  remained  as  pastor  thirty -four  years,  for 
fifteen  years  supplying  the  church  in  Birmingham  one-half  of 
his  time.  During  this  long  ministry  there  was  scarcely  a 
home  in  this  and  the  adjoining  towns  where  he  had  not  been 
called  as  pastor  on  occasions  of  both  joy  and  sorrow.  He  died 
March  27,  1871,  having  preached  his  last  sermon  the  day 
before. 

"  In  April,  1834,  Mr.  Barber  married  Islrs.  Hannah  Osborn 
Crosby,  at  East  Windsor,  Connecticut.  In  their  home  was 
always  a  welcome  for  their  own  people,  for  brother  minis- 
ters, and  in  the  early  years  it  was  often  the  safe  shelter  of  the 
fugitive  slave,  so  closely  pursued  on  the  border  of  freedom. 
Many  incidents  can  be  recalled  of  this  kind.  One  of  my  first 
recollections  is  riding  after  a  horse  with  mane  and  tail  sheared, 
the  innocent  victim  of  the  mob  in  Mt.  Vernon,  Ohio,  where 
my  father  was  a  delegate  to  one  of  the  first  anti-slavery  meet- 
ings called  in  the  State.  I  think  this  meeting  was  called  by 
the  Presbytery,  and  had  to  adjourn  without  transacting  any 
business.     This  was  in  1839." 

REV.  JOEL  TALCOTT. 

At  the  meeting  held  in  Clyde  on  the  29th  of  April,  1872, 
the  ministers  and  elders  were  called  to  note  the  death  of  two 
of  the  older  members  of  the  body. 

Rev.  Joel  Talcott  had  died  at  Wakeman,  Ohio,  on  the  25th 
of  December,  1871,  aged  70  years.  He  had  been  a  member  of 
the  Presbytery  for  fortj^-four  years.  We  are  not  able  to  gather 
much  from  the  presbyterial  records,  or  from  any  other  source 
at  hand,  concerning  Mr.  Talcott's  character  as  a  man  or  as  a 
minister.  It  is,  however,  an  interesting  fact  that  he  was  one  of 
the  five  or  six  men  who  hung  together  for  so  many  years  as 
members  of  this  body. 


BEV.    ENOCH  CONGER.  247 

REV.  ENOCH  CONGER. 

The  other  minister  whose  death  was  brought  to  notice  at  the 
Clyde  meeting  was  Enoch  Conger.  He  had  passed  away 
suddenly  at  Carmi,  111.,  on  the  19th  of  April,  1872.  He  was 
81  years  of  age  and  had  been  a  faithful  and  trusted  member  of 
Huron  Presbytery  since  1825 — almost  from  its  beginning,  a 
period  of  forty-seven  years. 

Many  of  the  churches  have  pleasant  recollections  of  him 
yet.  A  memorial  of  his  life  and  work,  given  to  the  Presbytery 
in  187G  by  Rev.  A.  Newton,  d.  d.,  is  here  inserted  in  full : — 

"  Rev.  Enoch  Conger  was  born  at  New  Scotland,  Albany 
County,  New  York,  February  15,  1792.  He  was  for  a  few 
months  in  the  War  of  1812,  and  had  a  part  in  the  battle  of 
Queenstown  Heights,  in  which  he  was  taken  prisoner.  In  the 
spring  of  1813  he  embraced  the  Christian  hope,  at  a  time  when 
there  was  no  revival  and  no  minister  in  the  place.  To  his 
mother,  who  was  eminent  for  her  piety  and  sound  practical 
sense,  he  was  indebted  for  valuable  counsel  and  instruction 
which  nourished  and  guarded  his  Christian  life.  His  mind 
soon  turned  toward  the  ministry,  and  he  immediately  com- 
menced studying  at  an  academy  in  Auburn,  intending  to  go 
through  a  regular  course ;  but,  his  eyes  failing,  he  was  obliged 
to  suspend  his  studies.  Thus,  the  winter  and  spring  finding 
him  still  under  his  affliction,  he  concluded  that  God  had 
hedged  up  his  way,  and  abandoned  the  hope  of  preaching. 

"  In  March,  1814,  he  was  married  to  Esther  West,  who  still 
survives  him  with  faculties  of  body  and  mind  unimpaired. 
He  took  a  farm  and  worked  on  it  one  year.  His  eyes  having 
become  well,  he  sold  his  farm  and  again  commenced  his  studies. 
With  limited  resources  and  a  family  on  his  hands,  lie  struggled 
on  for  five  years,  working  and  studying  as  he  had  the  means. 
He  studied  theology  with  Rev.  Joel  G.  Benedict  and  Rev.  Wm. 
R.  Weeks,  d.  d.,  and  was  licensed  in  the  spring  of  1819  by  the 
Union  Congregational  Association.  Having  been  ordained, 
either  by  this  body  or  by  the  Presbytery  of  Susquehanna,  he 


248  HISTORY  OF  HURON  PRESBYTERY. 

spent  the  first  five  and  a  half  years  of  his  ministry  in  Chenango, 
New  York,  and  in  Susquehanna  County,  Pa.,  where  he  liad 
much  encouragement  in  the  success  of  his  labors.  But  his 
active,  enterprising  spirit  looked  to  the  regions  beyond,  and  in 
the  fall  of  1824  he  removed  to  Ohio  and  united  with  tlie  Pres- 
bytery of  Huron.  Within  the  bounds  of  this  body  he  per- 
formed his  life's  work  most  faithfully  and  successfully.  Most 
of  the  churches  had  been  recently  organized  and  were  feeble  and 
unable  to  sustain  a  minister  alone.  He  therefore  divided  his 
labors  between  two  or  more  contiguous  ones — at  first  serving 
New  Haven,  Plymouth,  and  Greenfield  one  year,  Lyme  and 
Ruggles  as  pastor  nine  years,  Lyme  alone  two  years,  and  Lower 
Sandusky  one  year. 

"  In  1837  he  took  charge  of  the  church  at  Plymouth,  over 
which  he  was  installed  as  pastor  in  1842.  After  eleven  years' 
service  in  this  field  he  resigned  his  office  and  labored  one  year 
in  the  feeble  churches  as  presbyterial  missionary.  After  a 
suspension  of  labors  in  consequence  of  ill  health  from  1849  to 
1851,  he  resumed  preaching  and  supplied  the  churches  in 
Peru,  Olena,  Greenfield,  Melmore,  and  Bloomville  until  1862, 
when  failing  health  compelled  him  to  give  up  preaching, 
except  occasionally. 

"  In  1868  he  removed  to  Carmi,  111.,  where  he  lived  with  his 
son,  Chauncy  S.,  until  his  death,  April  19, 1872." 

From  this  sketch  it  will  be  seen  that  he  was  a  pioneer  in  the 
work  of  the  gospel.  The  early  history  of  many  of  the  churches 
of  the  Presbytery  is  intimately  associated  with  the  name  of  ^Ir. 
Conger.  His  abundant  labors  in  connection  with  Rev.  E. 
Judson,  a  co-presbyter  of  kindred  spirit,  were  blessed  of  God  to 
the  conversion  of  many.  Though  each  had  his  own  individual 
charge,  with  the  consent  of  the  people  they  both  went  out 
together  among  the  churches  and  places,  laboring  several  days 
in  succession,  doing  the  work  of  evangelists,  and  doing  it  much 
better  than  some  who  at  that  day  went  under  the  name. 
Indeed,  it  was  owing  to  the  judicious  labors  of  these  two 
brethren  more  than  to  any  other  cause  that  the  Presbytery  of 


BEV.    ENOCH  CONGER.  249 

Huron  was  saved  from  the  desolating  effects  of  a  spurious 
evangelism.  To  their  influence,  both  in  the  pulpit  and  out  of  it, 
were  largely  due  the  order,  stability,  and  progress  of  its  churches 
in  those  times  when  so  many  in  other  parts  of  the  Western 
Reserve  were  driven  from  their  moorings  and  tossed  upon  the 
troubled  sea  of  ecclesiastical  changes  and  moral  reform. 

Mr.  Conger  was  more  than  an  ordinary  preacher,  and  had 
he  been  favored  with  a  broad  and  thorough  education,  which 
he  sought  in  vain,  he  would  have  taken  high  rank  among  his 
brethren  anywhere.  He  had  a  clearness  of  perception,  a  sound- 
ness of  judgment,  and  a  strength  of  the  reasoning  faculty 
which  gave  him  great  advantage  in  the  investigation  of  a  sub- 
ject, and  great  power  in  the  presentation  of  it  to  others.  The 
range  of  his  theological  studies  was,  of  course,  less  broad  than 
at  the  present  day  ;  but  he  was  at  home  on  the  subjects  he  had 
studied. 

His  preaching  was  characterized  by  great  earnestness  and 
force.  In  the  days  of  his  strength,  l^efore  disease  had  fastened 
itself  upon  him,  no  man  in  the  Presbytery  was  more  powerful 
in  the  pulpit;  there  was  none  whose  preaching  was  more 
highly  valued.  If  it  had  not  the  grace  and  polish  of  the 
schools,  it  had  the  power  which  commanded  attention  and 
awakened  interest.  He  did  not  deal  much  in  anecdote,  or 
historical  illustration,  or  in  allusion  to  passing  events.  He 
took  the  great  truths  of  the  Gospel,  clothed  them  in  plain  Saxon 
English,  and  drove  them  home  to  the  heart  and  conscience  by 
that  kind  of  eloquence  which  comes  from  a  strong  intellect 
kindled  b}'-  strong  feeling.  His  illustrations  and  proofs  were 
drawn  mainly  from  the  Scriptures.  His  manner  reminded  one 
forcibly  of  the  Apostle's  description  of  his  own  preaching, 
"  And  my  speech  and  my  preaching  was  not  with  enticing 
words  of  man's  wisdom,  but  in  demonstration  of  the  spirit  and 
of  power." 

Every  hearer  felt  that  he  was  listening  to  most  solemn  and 
mighty  truths,  and  that  the  preacher  felt  them  in  his  inmost 
soul.     Even  the  nervous  jerk  of  his  head,  and  the  high  pitch 


250  HISTORY  OF  IIUROX  PREi^BYTERY. 

of  his  voice,  when  he  was  absorbed  in  his  subject,  seemed  to 
add  to  the  impressiveness  of  his  manner,  as  they  were  evi- 
dently the  result  of  his  intense  earnestness. 

]VIr,  Conger  was  a  judicious  counselor.  He  had  the  sound  com- 
mon sense  and  clear  discernment  which  made  him  a  valuable 
member  of  deliberative  bodies.  No  mind  was  keener  than  his 
to  penetrate  intricacies  of  a  subject,  or  to  detect  the  fallacies  of 
a  sophistical  argument.  He  was  not  imposed  upon  by  liigh- 
sounding  words.  He  took  a  broad  view  of  the  whole  of  a  subject, 
and  saw  its  remote  bearings  with  the  clearness  of  distinct  vision. 

Although  he  was  a  Presbyterian  by  profession  and  intelli- 
gent preference,  and  loved  his  own  denomination  with  true 
affection,  he  was  no  bigot.  He  loved  all  true  Chri-stians.  He 
mingled  freely  with  them,  and  co-operated  in  revivals  and  efforts 
for  the  general  good  of  society.  He  secured  the  respect  and 
confidence  of  other  Christian  denominations. 

A  marked  feature  of  his  character  was  his  self-denying  and 
self-sacrificing  devotion  to  his  work.  The  spirit  which  urged 
him  to  such  efforts  as  he  made  to  preach  continued  to  move  him 
all  through  his  subsequent  career.  He  was  called  to  labor  with 
new  and  feeble  churches.  A  growing  family  needed  increasing 
means  of  living.  He  was  under  the  necessity  of  practicing  a 
rigid  economy.  He  might  have  turned  aside  and  practiced 
some  mechanical  trade,  for  which  he  showed  a  special  genius  ; 
or  he  might  have  bought  up  cheap  land  for  cultivation,  and 
thus  he  might  have  laid  the  foundation  for  future  competence 
at  least,  if  not  for  wealth.  But  he  chose  rather  to  deny  him- 
self and  to  keep  in  the  path  of  ministerial  duty.  He  did  not 
entangle  himself  in  the  things  of  tliis  world  while  he  could 
preach  the  Gospel.  His  whole  heart  and  mind  were  given  to 
this  divine  work,  though  its  pecuniar}^  rewards  to  him  were  so 
small,  and  so  inadequate  to  his  wants.  This  was  so  clearly  a 
trait  of  his  character  that  it  impressed  every  one  wdio  knew 
him.  It  was  one  of  the  secrets  of  his  power  in  preaching.  His 
hearers  felt  that  the  man  who  denied  himself  so  much  for  the 
Gospel  must  believe  that  it  is  a  reality. 


REV.    ENOCH  CONGER.  251 

On  the  questions  of  slavery,  temperance,  and  other  reforms, 
Mr.  Conger  took  the  middle  ground  between  a  destructive  radi- 
calism and  a  dead  conservatism,  which  most  healthy  minds 
most  naturally  take.  He  believed  in  the  sinfulness  of  slavery, 
he  believed  in  the  importance  of  temperance  to  the  moral  and 
physical  well-being  of  man.  But  he  did  not  think  it  necessary 
to  move  heaven  and  earth  in  order  to  secure  a  particular  mode 
of  action.  When  the  great  struggle  between  slavery  and  free- 
dom culminated  in  the  War  of  the  Rebellion,  two  of  his  sons 
went  forth  to  that  contest.  One  of  them  fell  a  victim  to  his 
patriotism  by  the  hand  of  the  enem}^  Heavy  as  the  blow  was 
to  the  father's  heart,  no  murmur  was  ever  heard  from  his  lips. 
Doubtless  he  acquiesced  in  it  as  the  ordering  of  an  All-wise 
Providence.  Nor  is  there  any  doubt  that  he  regarded  it  as  one 
of  the  inevitable  consequences  of  our  great  National  sin,  which 
could  be  expiated  only  by  such  sacrifices. 

Mr.  Conger  was  greatly  respected  and  beloved  throughout  the 
Presbytery.  Three  times  he  was  sent  as  commissioner  to  the 
General  Assembly.  His  counsels  had  great  weight,  both  in  the 
deliberations  of  the  Presbytery  and  of  the  Synod. 

Of  the  "  Ministers'  Meeting"  he  was  a  valued  member,  and 
his  presence  was  always  welcome. 

The  Presbytery  showed  its  appreciation  of  his  labors  and 
its  estimate  of  his  worth  by  raising  a  fund  of  $2000  some 
twenty  years  ago — in  1857 — the  interest  of  which  was  to  be 
given  to  him  during  his  life,  and  afterward  to  a  Presbyterial 
Missionary,  or  to  any  disabled  minister  who  had  been  in  the 
Presbytery  ten  years.  This  appropriation  was  called  the  "  Con- 
ger Fund."  It  was  given  from  loving  hearts  by  members  of 
the  different  churches.  No  contribution  to  any  benevolent 
object  was  ever  made  more  freely.  This  affection  was  recip- 
rocated by  Mr.  Conger.  He  loved  the  Presbytery  and  hoped  to 
spend  his  last  days  within  its  bounds,  amid  the  churches  where 
he  had  so  long  and  so  faithfully  labored.  But  that  Providence 
whose  ways  are  not  as  our  ways,  ordered  it  otherwise.  He 
removed   to  Illinois  to  live  with  his  son  ;  and   though  sur- 


252  HISTORY  OF  HURON  PRESBYTERY. 

rounded  by  loving  children,  who  made  every  provision  for  his 
wants,  yet  he  cast  many  a  longing  look  toward  his  former 
home  in  Ohio,  and  talked  of  making  a  journey  thither  to 
visit  his  old  friends,  until  disease  made  it  more  and  more 
certain  that  he  could  never  accomplish  his  desire.  His  mental 
qualities  had  become  impaired,  especially  iiis  memory.  Tlie 
Rev.  Mr.  Swan,  pastor  of  the  church  at  Cairo,  says :  "  Of  the 
past,  his  work,  his  former  friends,  and  his  various  associates,  he 
could  give  no  connected  account.  But  speak  to  him  of  his 
blessed  Saviour's  work,  the  ground  of  his  own  hope,  or  liis 
prospects,  and  all  was  light.  After  a  sermon  I  would  fre- 
quently call  on  him  to  make  the  closing  pra3'er.  As  he  would 
slowly,  and  evidently  with  great  effort,  rise  to  his  feet,  and 
appear  scarcely  able  to  stand  when  he  had  risen,  the  scene 
became  truly  affecting  and  solemn.  And  often  in  his  prayers 
there  was  evidently  a  full  comprehension  of  the  subject,  a  prac- 
tical application  of  its  jjoints,  and  a  continuation  of  its  sug- 
gestions, adding  things  spiritual  and  mature,  which  to  tliose 
aware  of  his  infirmities  displayed  a  marked  vivacity  and  clear- 
ness, and  such  brilliant  views  of  truth  as  were  truly  wonder- 
ful. I  have  never  known  such  an  illustration  of  the  Apostle's 
words  as  his  case  affords — "  Though  our  outward  man  perish, 
yet  the  inward  man  is  renewed  day  by  day." 

Nothing  peculiar  marked  the  closing  scene.  He  walked 
about  the  room,  and  down  the  stairs  the  day  before  he  died, 
only  seeming  a  little  more  tired,  and  went  to  rest  a  little  earlier 
than  usual.  He  slept  quietly  the  first  hour  or  two  ;  but  after- 
wards a  loud,  hollow  breathing  commenced.  Mrs.  Conger 
sprang  out  of  bed  and  found  he  was  almost  gone.  In 
about  ten  minutes,  without  a  struggle,  he  ceased  to  breathe. 
]\Irs.  Conger,  a  few  years  later,  at  the  age  of  more  than  eighty 
years,  visited  many  of  their  friends  in  the  Presbytery.  She 
has  since  gone  to  join  her  husband. 


ELDER  JAIBUS  KENNEN.  253 

KEV.  ANDREW  HUNTINGTON. 

This  father  died  at  Milan,  Ohio,  June  4th,  1872,  aged  eighty- 
four  years.  The  Presbytery,  in  noticing  liis  departure,  say  that 
he  spent  the  earlier  part  of  his  ministry  in  teaching,  and  that 
he  had  the  pleasure  of  seeing  a  number  of  youths,  once  under 
his  private  instruction,  enter  the  ministry  and  become  success- 
ful pastors.  He  was  a  man  of  clear  and  decided  religious  views, 
and  died  a  most  triumphant  death.  He  had  been  a  member  of 
the  Presbytery  for  about  thirteen  years. 


ELDER  JAIRUS  KENNEN. 

Notice  was  also  taken  of  the  death  of  this  brother,  an  elder 
in  the  church  of  Norwalk,  "  and  one  of  the  most  reliable  and 
consistent  of  laymen,  and  long  a  highly-esteemed  and  valued 
helper  in  the  church."     The  date  of  his  death  is  not  given. 

This  is  the  first  instance  in  the  history  of  this  body  when 
presbyterial  notice  is  taken  of  the  death  of  an  elder. 

Mr.  Kennan  was  probably  quite  familiar  and  helpful  in  the 
sessions  of  Presbytery,  and  greatly  honored  and  beloved  by  the 
ministry.  His  name  was  worthy  of  a  place  upon  the  records, 
side  by  side  with  the  names  of  departed  ministers.  There  have 
been  all  through  the  history  of  Huron  Presbytery,  and  there 
are  now  in  it,  men  in  the  eldership,  of  the  most  worthy,  intel- 
ligent, and  noble  Christian  character.  There  have  been  such 
representatives  of  the  churches  coming  from  all  the  proper 
avocations  of  life — farmers,  mechanics,  lawyers,  physicians 
merchants,  etc. — who  were  wise  in  counsel,  strong  in  character 
and  courage,  honored  in  the  meetings  of  Presbytery,  worthy  to 
go  up  as  representatives  to  the  General  Assembly,  and  loved 
and  trusted  in  their  own  churches,  whose  death  has  been  felt  as 
a  general  loss  and  grief.  Such  men  are  known  by  those  in  the 
ministry,  though  the  mention  of  their  death  does  not  usually 
find  a  place  upon  the  presbyterial  records. 


254  HISTORY  OF  HURON  PRESBYTERY. 

REV.  E.  R  CHASE. 

The  next  death  recorded  is  that  of  E.  R.  Chase,  wlio  died  at 
Clyde,  on  the  25th  of  ^lay,  1874. 

He  was  a  young  man  of  good  promise,  both  in  view  of  his 
intellectual  endowments  and  liis  lovely  Christian  spirit — his 
earnestness  and  devotion  to  his  work.  He  was  greatly  beloved, 
both  by  his  church  and  by  the  Presbytery. 

He  had  come  as  a  licentiate,  in  1871,  from  the  Elgin  Associ- 
ation of  Illinois.  He  was  ordained  at  Clyde,  where  he  labored 
some  time  as  stated  supply  and  where  he  was  afterward  installed 
as  pastor.  His  work,  for  the  comparatively  short  time  he  was 
in  Clyde,  was  greatly  blest.  The  church  grew,  both  in  numbers 
and  in  graces.  It  was  a  new  church  organization,  compara- 
tively. It  was  a  difficult  field,  where  there  was  much  Spiritual- 
ism and  Universalism,  twin  enemies  to  evangelical  truth  ;  and 
yet,  under  the  ministrations  of  Mr.  Chase,  the  church  was 
gradually  growing.  But  he  was  affected  with  that  grim  disease, 
consumption.  He  was  subject  to  frequent  hemorrhages ;  and 
after  a  brief  service  of  three  years,  while  yet  young  and  in  the 
fullness  of  interest  and  success  in  his  work,  he  Avas  called  to  go 
up  higher  and  mingle  "  with  the  spirits  of  just  men  made 
perfect." 

The  wife  of  Mr.  Chase  has  for  some  time  since  been  living  in 
Oberlin,  and  has  not  been  forgotten  by  the  Presbytery. 


REV.  ALFRED  NEWTON,  D.  D. 

At  the  regular  meeting  of  Presbytery,  in  Tiffin,  on  the  9th 
of  April,  1879,  notice  was  given  of  the  death  of  Rev.  A.  Newton, 
D.  D.,  a  father  long  and  affectionately  known  as  one  of  the 
most  active  and  helpful  of  presbyters. 

A  committee,  of  which  Dr.  E.  Bushnell  was  chairman,  was 
appointed  to  prepare  a  suitable  minute,  expressive  of  the 
thought  and  feeling  of  the  Presbytery  in  view  of  his  death. 
It  was  done  and  the  minute  was  placed  upon  the  records.     Dr. 


BEV.    ALFRED  NEWTON,  D.I).  255 

Newton  had  been  a  member  of  this  body  since  1835.  He  had 
come  to  it  a  young  licentiate,  and  was  ordained  and  became 
the  pastor  of  the  church  at  Norwalk,  which  he  served  faithfully 
and  successfully  for  thirty-five  years.  He  continued  through 
all  the  years  of  his  ministerial  life  to  make  Norwalk  his  home. 
There  and  throughout  the  Presbytery,  by  his  lovely  character, 
his  intelligence  and  general  deportment,  he  exerted  an  influence 
for  good  which  continues  since  his  departure  to  rest. 

His  relations  with  some  of  the  other  fathers  of  the  Presby- 
tery who  preceded  him  to  the  realms  of  light  was  for  years 
most  intimate  and  lovely.  The  attachments  of  these  holy  men 
who  endured  the  hardships  of  the  Pioneer  period  of  the 
churches  in  this  region  were  very  strong.  They  evidently  ex- 
erted over  each  other  a  hallowed  influence.  On  many  a 
precious  occasion  had  they  preached  and  prayed  together  in 
the  house  of  God.  Many  a  time  had  they  held  sacred  conver- 
sation together.  Theirs  was  a  friendship  that  came  of  mutual 
interests,  labors  and  help.  Nothing  could  be  more  fitting 
than  that  Dr.  Newton  should  be,  for  the  Presbytery,  the  biogra- 
pher of  such  men  as  A.  Betts,  E.  Judson  and  E.  Conger.  And 
since  neither  of  these  men  can  be  the  same  for  him,  nothing 
else  could  be  more  in  place  than  that,  since  he  has  gone.  Dr. 
E.  Bushnell,  his  most  intimate  and  trusted  friend  for  years  in 
the  Presbytery,  should  note  for  those  who  now  or  in  the  years 
to  come  may  read  the  history  of  this  body,  some  of  the  promi- 
nent facts  and  characteristics  of  Dr.  Newton's  life.  Those  of 
us  who  came  in  late,  and  yet  in  time  to  know  Dr.  Newton 
personally,  knew  him  as  the  dear  old  man  who  always  mani- 
fested his  warm  interest  in  us,  our  churches  and  our  work. 
We  loved  to  see  his  face,  to  grasp  his  hand,  to  hear  his  voice 
in  conversation,  in  sermon,  in  prayer  or  in  counsel.  We  loved 
him  as  a  father.  Who  could  help  that,  that  knew  him?  But 
there  were  some  respects  in  which  Dr.  Bushnell  knew  him 
much  better  than  any  of  us,  except  Rev.  J.  H.  Walter,  another 
of  his  nearest  and  dearest  friends. 

Dr.  Bushnell  conducted  the  services  on  the  occasion  of  the 


256  HISTORY  OF  HURON  PRESBYTERY. 

funeral,  and  liis  address  upon  that  occasion  lias  been  printed. 
We  give  it  a  place  in  these  chronicles. 


DR.  BUSHNELL'S  ADDRESS. 

The  sermon  was  from  the  words  of  Paul,  2  Cor.  ix,  15  : 
"  Thanks  be  unto  God  for  his  unspeakable  gift." 

After  dwelling  upon  the  fact  that  the  "  unspeakable  gift "  was 
the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  he  advanced  the  thought  that  this  gift  to 
the  world  is  manifest  in  the  peculiar  forces  and  influences  of 
godly  character.  And  then  pursuing  this  line  of  thought  he 
says :  "  Fix,  if  you  can,  the  measure  of  the  world's  indebtedness 
to  those  who  have  lived  and  labored  in  the  harness  of  Christian 
toil.  Can  you  tell  what  a  community  such  as  this  was  forty- 
five  years  ago,  and  is  now,  owes  to  a  voice  that  for  a  generation 
has  staunchly  defended  and  advocated  all  virtues,  reproved  all 
sins  and  rebuked  all  vices  ?  Can  you  tell  the  worth  of  a  char- 
acter that  for  a  generation  stands  unsullied  and  stalwart  in 
godly  integrity  ?  Can  you  compute  the  common  indebtedness 
of  any  people  to  a  life  that  for  forty  years,  in  their  forming 
period,  has  daily  thrown  into  the  web  of  their  growth  and 
history  the  golden  threads  of  a  combined  manliness  and  god- 
liness ? 

"  To  separate  such  threads  would  be  to  tear  the  woof  to  tatters. 
The  men  who  '  endure  as  seeing  him  who  is  invisible '  are  the 
men  who  furnish  the  real  inspiration  to  every  good  work  ;  and 
in  their  godliness  you  behold  the  riches  of  '  God's  unspeakable 
gift'  to  men. 

"  But  the  text  is  an  ejaculation  of  thanks.  Can  we  thank  God 
to-day?  AVhy  not?  What  single  thing  would  you  have  differ- 
ent? A  good  old  age,  an  honorable,  useful  life,  a  firm  trust  in 
God  and  in  Christ  for  salvation.  What  is  wanting?  What 
better  would  you  have  for  yourself?  Yes,  thanks  be  unto  God, 
for  He  giveth  the  victory.  Thanks  to  God,  for  the  life,  the  toil, 
the  ftiith,  the  faithfulness  of  every  true  manly  soul." 


BIOGRAPHICAL  SKETCH.  257 

BIOGKAPHICAL  SKETCH. 

The  following  Biographical  sketch  is  then  given  : — 

"  The  Rev.  Alfred  Newton,  d.d.,  was  born  at  Colchester,  Con- 
necticut, November  11th,  1803.  His  parents  were  Noah  and 
Olive  (Cheney)  Newton.  He  remained  at  home,  on  the  farm, 
until  September,  1816,  attending  school  winters,  and  laboring 
summers.  In  this  way  he  attained  a  competent  knowledge  of 
the  common  branches  of  an  English  education. 

"  In  1816  he  entered  the  store  of  R.  Isham,  of  Colchester,  as  a 
clerk,  under  an  agreement  to  remain  four  years  at  forty  dollars 
per  month,  with  board. 

"  In  1819  he  became  interested  in  religion,  during  a  revival, 
and  united  with  the  church  during  that  year,  in  November. 
Alfred  served  his  four  years,  and  afterwards  he  was  hired  at 
fifteen  dollars  per  month,  and  board  ;  and  continued  in  this 
service  till  the  spring  of  1823.  The  year  before  he  had  some 
thoughts  of  changing  his  occupation.  His  minister,  Mr.  Cone, 
and  some  others,  had  suggested  the  idea  of  studying  for  the 
ministry.  He  has  said  he  thought  over  the  subject  as  a  matter 
of  duty,  though  aside  from  that,  he  had  more  relish  for  books 
than  for  the  employment  of  a  merchant. 

"  Finally  he  began  to  study  Latin  in  1823.  The  problem  of 
support  for  a  course  of  eight  or  ten  3'ears'  study  was  not  solved, 
but  left  to  the  kind  Providence  of  God.  The  first  year  he 
received  from  the  merchant  in  whose  employ  he  had  been, 
board  and  room  etc,  for  which  he  made  compensation  by  keep- 
ing books  and  opening  and  closing  the  mails. 

"  The  second  year  he  did  similar  work  for  another  person, 
except  the  care  of  the  mails  ;  and  continued  this  till  1825, 
when  he  entered  the  Sophomore  class  of  Yale  College. 

"  In  the  spring  of  1825  Mr.  Aristarchus  Champion  employed 
Mr.  Newton  to  do  some  writing  for  his  father.  Learning  his 
circumstances,  endeavors,  and  ambitions,  Mr.  Champion  came 
to  his  assistance  and  gave  him  |200  in  three  annual  payments. 
Mr.  Newton  borrowed  money  of  the  Education  Society,  which 

17 


258  HISTORY  OF  HURON  PRESBYTERY. 

lie  afterward  repaid.  lie  kept  books  for  the  college  treasurer, 
sawed  wood  in  the  college  yard,  waited  on  tables  in  the  college 
commons,  and  in  these  ways  met  his  bills,  so  that  on  graduating, 
in  1828,  he  was  nearly  free  from  debt. 

"  To  procure  means  for  prosecuting  his  studies  in  theology, 
Mr.  Newton  engaged  in  teaching,  first  in  Ellington,  then  in 
Tolland,  and  afterward  in  an  academy  at  New  Canaan.  In 
1831  he  was  appointed  tutor  in  Yale  College.  He  accepted  the 
situation  and  discharged  its  duties  for  three  years.  During 
this  time  he  studied  his  theological  profession,  and  was  licensed 
to  preach  in  September,  1833. 

"  In  1834  he  received  a  call  to  Berlin,  Connecticut,  and  also 
one  to  Huron,  Ohio,  both  of  which  he  declined.  He  remained 
in  New  Haven  till  the  spring  of  1835,  when  he  received  an 
application  from  the  church  of  Norwalk,  Ohio,  to  labor  wdth 
them  for  one  year.  This  he  accepted,  and  came  here  July  1st, 
1835.  On  the  30th  day  of  September,  1835,  the  Presbytery  of 
Huron  met  by  adjournment  in  the  court  house  in  Norwalk, 
'  to  attend  to  the  request  of  Mr.  Alfred  Newton,  a  licentiate  of 
the  Western  Association  of  New  Haven,  Ct.,  to  be  taken  under 
care  of  this  Presbytery  with  a  view  to  ordination.'  He  was 
received  and  examined  the  same  day,  and  in  the  evening  was 
ordained.  The  service  was  held  in  the  Episcopal  church.  The 
sermon  was  preached  by  Rev.  E.  Conger ;  the  ordaining  prayer 
was  offered  by  Rev.  D.  Higgins,  and  the  charge  given  by  Rev. 
A.  H.  Betts — names  long  ago  familiar  to  the  older  portion  of 
this  audience. 

"  On  the  24th  day  of  July,  1838,  Mr.  Newton  was  installed 
pastor  of  the  Norwalk  Church,  The  sermon  was  by  Rev. 
Alvan  Nash.  The  duties  of  this  pastorate  were  discharged  until 
August  1st,  1870 — thirty-two  years,  which,  with  the  preceding 
three  years,  made  a  thirty-five  years'  continuous  ministerial 
work.  It  ceased  eight  years  ago,  and  Dr.  Newton  was  a  resi- 
dent of  Norwalk  forty-three  years  and  six  months. 

"  In  1846-7  Mr.  Newton  undertook  to  raise  a  subscription  for 
a  female  seminary,  which  was  erected  at  a  cost  of  §3300. 


BIOGRAPHICAL   SKETCH.  259 

"  In  1849  he  spent  seven  months  in  raising  funds  to  foand  a 
professorship  in  Western  Reserve  College.  The  funds  were 
raised  mostly  within  Huron  Presbytery.  The  same  year  he 
was  appointed  trustee  of  the  college,  which  office  he  resigned  in 
1861.  In  1856,  assisted  by  Rev.  C.  H.  Taylor,  he  raised  the 
'  Conger  Fund '  subscription  of  $2000.  In  18G0  he  preached 
his  quarter-centenary  sermon.  In  1862  the  honorary  degree 
of  Doctor  of  Divinity  was  conferred  upon  him  by  Hamilton 
College.  The  president  of  Hamilton  College  had  been  a  pupil 
of  his  at  Yale.  In  1851  he  became  stated  clerk  of  Huron 
Presbytery,  and  held  this  office  until  1872.  I  remember  him 
before  that  as  permanent  clerk  of  Western  Reserve  Synod,  and 
as  moderator  of  that  body  in  1854.  On  the  organization  of  the 
Synod  of  Toledo,  in  1870,  Dr.  Newton  was  appointed  by  the 
Cieneral  Assembly  to  preach  the  opening  sermon  and  to  pre- 
side. 

"  After  laying  down  his  pastoral  service.  Dr.  Newton  went  into 
the  service  of  Western  Reserve  College  for  some  time,  as  finan- 
cial agent.  Since  then  he  performed,  at  the  request  of  the 
Presbytery,  the  important  service  of  preaching  a  discourse  on 
the  history  of  that  body. 

"  He  was  one  of  the  original  members  of  the  '  Ministers' 
Meeting '  of  the  Presbytery,  which  was  organized  on  the  day  of 
the  dedication  of  the  Milan  Church,  January  31st,  1837,  and 
continued  to  the  present.  The  members  present  at  the  organi- 
zation were  E.  Conger,  A.  Nash,  E.  Barber,  E.  Judson,  A. 
Newton  and  B.  B.  Judson.  Of  these  none  are  now  living.  Dr. 
Newton  steadily  attended  this  meeting,  and  had  prepared  a 
paper  which  was  to  have  been  read  the  very  day  on  Mdiich  he 
passed  away. 

"  Mrs.  Newton  has  shared  the  life  of  her  husband  since  August 
4,  1837. 

"  The  facts  just  given  indicate  a  thorough  scholar,  an  indus- 
trious ability  and  aptness  for  a  variety  of  labors,  a  well  balanced 
judgment,  and  a  valuable  capacity  for  business.  They  ex- 
plicitly tell  of  the  efficiency  of  a  life  of  plain,  constant  work. 


260  HISTORY  OF  HURON  PRESBYTERY. 

One  man  of  common  sense,  integrity,  industry,  and  thorough 
training  is  commonly  worth  more  than  several  geniuses. 

"The  day  before  he  died  he  was  asked,  'You  don't  feel  any 
doubt  or  alarm,  do  you  ? '  He  replied,  '  Well,  I  might  feel 
doubt,  looking  at  matters  in  some  aspects;  but  my  .Saviour  has 
done  it  all,  I  trust  in  Ilim  and  there  I  rest.' 

"Men  and  brethren,  what  has  the  Master  said  ?  '  Come  unto 
Me  and  ye  shall  find  rest  to  your  souls.' 

"  If,  now,  all  that  unbelievers  can  say  against  Christianity  were 
true,  what  has  this  man  lost  b}'  being  a  Christian  ?  '  Per 
contra,'  let  Christianity  be  true  and  what  has  he  gained  ?  Dr. 
Newton  departed  this  life  December  31,  1878,  aged  seventy-five 
years,  one  month  and  twenty  days. 

"  I  may  say  for  myself  that  for  twenty -two  years  that  I  have 
been  his  ministerial  neighbor,  I  have  found  him  a  most  true 
and  faithful  brother;  and  latterly  singularly  tender  in  his 
demonstrations  of  interest." 

Mrs.  Newton  went  to  join  her  husband  on  the  2d  of  March 
1889,  dying  peacefully,  with  faculties  of  mind  unimpaired  to 
the  last,  at  the  age  of  eighty  years. 


REV.  MARCUS  PALMER. 

On  the  15th  of  February,  1881,  Rev.  Marcus  Palmer  fell 
asleep  in  Jesus.  He  had  reached  his  eighty-sixth  year.  He 
had  been  received  into  Huron  Presbytery  first  in  1844.  He  had 
been  a  member  of  the  Cherokee  Association.  That  Association 
had  dissolved,  and  INIr.  Palmer  had,  upon  satisfactory  testimo- 
nials of  his  ordination  and  ministerial  character,  and  having 
assented  to  the  usual  questions  proposed  to  candidates  for  ordi- 
nation, been  received  into  Presbytery.  In  the  following  year, 
1845,  he  had  been  dismissed  to  the  Presbytery  of  Elyria,  of 
which  body  he  continued  to  be  a  member  till  its  dissolution  in 
1806,  when  he  again  was  returned  to  Huron.  He  continued 
all  these  years,  however,  to  labor  among  the  Cherokee  Indians. 
Advancing  years  brought  him  to  a  home  in  the  bounds  of  the 


BEV.    WM.    DEWEY.  261 

Presbytery  at  Milan.  For  some  years  before  his  death  he  was 
afflicted  with  the  loss  of  sight.  This  trial  he  bore  with  godly 
patience  and  submission.  It  was  related  of  him  in  one  of  the 
presbyterial  meetings  that  when  he  became  conscious  of  ap- 
proaching blindness  he  called  to  him  his  daughter,  whom  he 
loved  with  peculiar  fondness,  and  requested  her  to  come  near 
to  him  in  the  clear  light,  that  he  might  see  her  distinctly,  for, 
said  he,  "  I  shall  soon  be  unable  to  see  you,  and  I  want  to  gaze 
upon  your  face  once  more  and  to  remember  your  features." 
True  enough,  within  several  days  he  was  unable  to  see  the  face 
he  loved  so  well.  The  heart  and  hands  of  that  daughter, 
though  unseen  by  the  father,  continued  tenderly  to  minister  to 
his  wants,  along  with  the  wife  and  mother,  until  death  con- 
ducted him  into  that  realm  where  God's  beloved  "  shall  see 
even  as  also  they  are  seen." 

The  Presbytery,  in  a  paper  prepared  by  Rev.  J.  H.  Walter, 
along  with  a  brief  testimonial  of  his  long  and  faithful  service 
in  behalf  of  the  Cherokee  Nation,  expressed  sympathy  with  the 
widow  and  daughter  who  had  so  long  and  so  affectionately 
ministered  to  the  departed ;  and  also  rejoiced  with  them  in  the 
removal  of  the  husband  and  father  to  that  heavenly  place 
where  with  open  face  he  beholds  the  glory  of  the  Lord. 


REV.  WM.  DEWEY. 

In  addition  to  the  foregoing  memorials  we  note  that  the 
Presbytery  did  not  overlook  the  fact  of  the  departure  by  death 
of  Mr.  Dewey.  He  had  for  some  time  been  serving  the  church 
of  Monroeville,  though  without  as  yet  having  become  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Presbytery.  He  was  a  Congregationalist  minister 
and  was  highly  esteemed. 

Upon  being  notified  of  his  death  the  Presbytery,  appreciating 
his  character  and  his  work,  gave  testimony  to  his  efficiency 
and  fidelity  as  a  preacher  and  as  a  pastor,  and  extended  sym- 
pathy to  his  family  and  friends  and  to  the  church,  in  view  of 
their  loss  and  their  sorrow. 


262  HISTORY  OF  HURON  PRESUYTKRY. 

Mr.  Dewey  came  to  ISIonroeville  from  IJristol  Centre,  New 
York,  January  8,  1882.  lie  died  April  9,  1885.  He  was 
advanced  in  years,  being  nearly  seventy-two  when  he  died,  yet 
he  was  a  successful  and  a  much  beloved  minister.  Five  days 
before  his  death  he  welcomed  ten  persons  into  the  church. 


REV.  LEMUEL  BISSELL,  D.D. 

On  the  28th  of  May,  1891,  Dr.  Bissell  was  removed  from  the 
earth  to  his  reward  on  high.  He  was  taken  suddenly  ill  at 
Mahableshwar,  India,  and  within  about  two  hours  from  his 
first  attack  he  passed  away.  Though  he  spent  the  whole  of 
his  ministerial  life  as  a  missionary  in  India  except  the  months 
taken  in  this  country  for  the  recuperation  of  his  health,  his 
name  continued  upon  the  roll  of  the  ministers  of  Huron 
Presbytery  until  his  death. 

His  face  and  presence  are  still  remembered  by  several  mem- 
bers of  this  body  as  he  mingled  several  times  among  us  as  our 
returned  missionary.  He  left  with  us  the  impression  of  a  man 
of  God.  We  are  glad  to  quote  regarding  him  the  words  of 
Rev.  Charles  Harding,  of  Sholapur,  for  thirtj'-five  years  Dr. 
Bissell's  associate  in  the  mission  work.  He  says :  "  He  often 
seemed  like  one  who  had  just  visited  the  Holy  of  Holies.  Enoch 
no  more  truly  walked  with  God  than  he  did.  He  was  pre 
eminently  a  man  of  prayer  and  his  prayers  seemed  a  real 
converse  with  God.  Many  years  ago,  on  one  occasion  at  our 
annual  meeting  when  we  saw  a  special  work  of  the  Holy  Spirit, 
it  came  to  the  knowleege  of  some  of  us  that  Dr.  Bissell,  with 
Mr.  Bowen,  had  previously  spent  most  of  one  night  in  prayer 
for  a  special  blessing." 

He  was  the  father  of  eight  children  who  have  largely 
imrtaken  of  his  own  missionary  spirit. 

From  the  appendix  to  the  annual  report  of  the  ]\Iarathi 
Mission  for  1801  we  take  the  following : — 

"  Dr.  Bissell  was  born  at  South  Windsor,  Connecticut,  on  the 
12tli  December,  1822.     His  father  removed  witli   his  family  to 


EEV.    LEMUEL   BLSSELL,  D.  D.  263 

Milan,  Ohio,  in  1835.  He  completed  the  course  of  stud}^  in 
Western  Reserve  College  and  was  graduated  in  1845.  He 
finished  his  theological  course  of  study  in  1848.  He  had  been 
tutor  in  that  college  for  two  years.  He  was  principal  of  the 
Academy  at  Milan,  Ohio,  for  the  two  years  1848-9.  He  married 
Miss  Mary  E.  Beaumont  in  Cleveland  on  the  3d  of  April,  1851, 
and  was  ordained  a  week  later,  on  the  9th  of  April.  They 
embarked  at  Boston  on  8th  May,  and,  coming  round  the  Cape 
of  Good  Hope,  arrived  at  Bombay  on  27th  August,  1851.  For 
the  first  nine  years  of  his  mission  life  he  was  stationed  at  Sirur. 
His  work  there  was  largely  among  the  surrounding  villages ; 
but  the  number  of  church  members  and  adherents  and  Sabbath 
audiences  so  increased  that  he  found  it  necessary  to  build  a 
new  church  that  would  seat  two  hundred  persons.  In  1859  he 
was  relieved  of  the  care  of  the  church.  Rev.  Sidoba  Misal  was 
ordained  to  be  its  pastor.  In  1861  he  removed  to  Ahmednagar, 
that  he  might  conduct  a  school  for  catechists.  The  course  of 
study  included  the  higher  branches  of  mathematics,  natural 
philosophy,  astronomy,  the  Bible,  moral  science,  and  English 
taught  as  a  classic.  This  school  had  about  thirty  scholars  in 
regular  attendance,  and  for  seven  months  of  the  year  eight 
members  of  the  theological  class  were  taught  in  it  the  studies 
of  their  scientific  course.  Of  these  studies  he  delighted  most 
of  all  in  teaching  astronomy.  Till  the  end  of  his  life  he  kept 
track  of  the  planets  in  their  wanderings  among  the  constella- 
tions. He  would  watch  eagerly  for  Mercury  when  about  to 
become  visible  to  the  naked  eye,  and  then  he  would  daily 
welcome  him  and  point  him  out  to  others  till  he  was  again 
hidden  in  the  sunlight. 

From  1861  to  the  end  of  his  life,  except  when  he  was  on 
furlough  for  the  recuperation  of  his  health,  Dr.  Bissell  was 
stationed  at  Ahmednagar  and  took  part  in  the  instruction  of 
the  theological  classes.  But  he  still  had  charge  of  the  native 
agents  of  the  mission  who  preached  or  taught  schools  in  the 
•district  south  of  Ahmednagar,  and  he  gave  as  much  time  as  he 
could  secure  for  it,  to  itinerating  among  the  villages  there.    His 


264  HISTORY  OF  IIVRON  FJlESIiYTEKY. 

saintly  appearance  and  earnest  words  and  his  aj)t  and  forcible, 
sometimes  humorous  answers  to  objections,  made  his  talks  to 
the  villagers  attractive  and  effective. 

After  the  death  of  our  much-lamented  Brother  Ballantine, 
in  1865,  he  was  most  of  the  time  Secretary  of  the  Mission.  He 
was  well  adapted  for  the  duties  of  a  secretary,  and  he  was 
prompt  and  indefatigable  in  their  execution.  The  editor  of 
the  Missionary  Herald  says  of  the  letter  he  sent  on  the  day  he 
died,  that  it  was  "  in  his  usual  clear  and  vigorous  style."  A 
brother  missionary,  quoted  in  the  same  notice,  says  that  in  this 
capacity  we  have  seen,  in  a  marked  degree,  his  carefulness,  his 
accuracy,  his  impartiality.  When  he  arrived  in  India  he  did 
not  appear  to  be  very  robust ;  his  frame  was  slight  and  his 
features  thin,  and  they  wore  the  spiritual  expression  which 
they  always  retained.  We  did  not  think  that  he  was  likely  to 
endure  the  climate  of  India  for  many  years.  He  daily  sought 
strength  from  the  Master,  and  he  received  it  for  that  day.  It 
often  seemed  at  night  that  he  had  used  it  all.  But  the  next 
morning  would  find  him  at  daybreak  taking  his  needed  exer- 
cise. Although  the  cliurches  had  their  pastors,  Dr.  Bissell  was 
called  on  to  do  much  pastoral  work.  He  frequently  preached 
in  the  chapel  at  Ahmednagar.  His  every  sermon  showed  that 
it  had  been  carefully  prepared.  His  sentences  were  short  and 
often  quaint,  and  so  worded  that  hearers  remembered  and 
repeated  them. 

Whenever  he  could  secure  time  for  it,  he  would  make  a  tour 
among  the  villages  of  the  large  field  that  was  under  his  care. 
This  included  that  part  of  the  Ahmednagar  Collectorate  which 
lies  south  of  the  city,  and  also  the  villages  within  ten  miles 
to  the  north  ;  so  that  it  is  more  than  sixt}'  miles  in  length,  and 
will  average  twenty  miles  in  width. 

After  twelve  years  of  service  here,  his  health  required  him 
to  go  on  furlough  to  America.  While  there  the  District  Secre- 
taries of  the  American  Board  found  him  so  useful  in  making 
addresses  on  mission  subjects  that  he  was  overworked,  and  his 
health  did  not  improve.     Instead  of  resting  in  the  hours  of 


BEV.    LEMUEL   BISSELL,  D.  D.  265 

sleep,  he  was,  in  his  dreams,  still  making  addresses  on  missions. 
It  proved  necessary  for  him  to  stay  more  than  two  years  in  the 
United  States.  But  in  186()  we  were  allowed  to  welcome  him 
back.  Ten  years  later,  in  187(3,  he  Avent  to  America  again,  and 
in  December,  1877,  he  returned  in  vigorous  health.  Early  in 
1886  he  became  so  seriously  ill  that  his  recovery  was  despaired 
of.  Without  his  knowledge,  arrangements  were  made  for  him 
to  go  to  America.  He  recovered  sufficiently  to  enable  him  to 
go,  leaving  his  station  and  district  work  in  charge  of  Mrs. 
Bissell.  His  health  was  restored,  and  before  the  end  of  the 
year  he  hurried  back  and  resumed  his  various  work  ;  and  from 
that  time  he  carried  it  on  with  rare  skill  and  earnestness  till 
the  day  of  his  death.  As  a  friend  and  counsellor  he  was  prized 
and  beloved.  He  was  always  so  gentle,  loving,  and  kind  as  to 
win  every  heart  wherever  he  went.  To  him  for  counsel  and 
advice  all  difficult  questions  in  the  mission  were  taken.  In 
him  the  native  Christians  had  a  loving,  sympathizing  father 
and  a  great  benefactor. 

Many  anecdotes  are  told  of  the  pithy  and  apt  sayings  of  Dr. 
Bissell.  He  was  always  ready  and  equal  to  the  occasion.  He 
was  a  Presbyterian,  and  speaking  upon  a  certain  occasion  of 
the  withdrawal  from  the  American  Board  of  some  Presbyterian 
missionaries,  when  certain  missions  had  been  transferred  to 
the  care  of  the  Presbyterian  Board,  he  remarked :  "  These 
brethren  say  that  they  amicably  withdraw  from  the  board. 
For  myself,  I  concluded  amicably  to  remain." 

His  ways  and  words  were  the  manifestation  of  his  inner  life. 
There  was  no  cant  or  sanctimony  in  them.  The  effervescence 
of  his  native  humor,  which  ever  gave  its  spicy  flavor  to  his 
letters  and  conversation,  did  not  detract  from  the  impression 
that  all  received  who  met  with  him,  that  he  had  attained  a 
high  degree  of  sanctification.  His  saintly  appearance  fitted 
him  to  say  and  do  things  that  would  have  been  regarded  as 
excessive  in  another  who  lacked  the  halo  and  the  holy  atmo- 
sphere which  invested  him.     His  daily  life,  his  ever  earnest 


266  HISTORY  OF  HURON  RRKSBYTERV. 

sermons,  his  whole  a))pearance  and  influence  sliowed  that  he 
walked  with  God,  and  he,  being  dead,  yet  speaketh." 

Through  the  two  foreign  missionaries,  Rev.  H.  8.  Taylor, 
who  died  Februrary  3d,  1871,  and  Dr.  Bissell,  who  died  May 
28th,  1891,  a  sort  of  relationship  was  continued  even  down  to 
the  latter  date,  between  the  Presbytery  of  Huron  and  the 
Great  American  Board  of  Foreign  Missions.  The  Presbytery 
had  been  for  many  years  of  its  history  a  warm  friend  of,  and  a 
contributor  to  the  Board.  That  sense  of  friendship  it  did  not 
lose ;  and  no  fault  was  found  with  these  dear  brethren,  while 
they  still  allowed  their  names  to  remain  on  the  Presbyterial 
roll,  that  they  continued  to  serve  the  Master,  in  their  efforts  to 
extend  His  Kingdom  in  the  great  regions  beyond  the  sea, 
under  the  Board  that  had  given  them  their  commissions  when 
ordained  by  the  laying  on  of  hands  of  the  Presbytery,  and 
which  was  willing  and  glad  to  support  them  to  the  end. 


IV.  UNPLEASANT  DUTIES. 

One  of  the  things  that  has  ever  characterized  Huron  Pres- 
bytery has  been  the  fraternal  Christian  spirit  which  has  hardly 
ever  ftiiled  to  be  manifest  in  the  meetings,  and  in  the  trans- 
action of  all  the  business  of  the  body,  and  yet  it  is  not  to  be 
assumed  or  understood  that  it  never  had  any  unpleasant  work 
to  perform. 

It  is  true  that  for  many  years  there  were  no  judicial  cases  to 
be  tried.  There  had  been,  in  the  years  past,  the  cases  of  two 
ministers  who  had  to  be  dealt  with,  and  eventually  suspended, 
and  an  elder  who  made  some  trouble.  These  trials  had  been 
followed  by  a  number  of  j^ears  of  peaceful  attention  to  the 
great  duties  of  the  ministr}'  and  the  churches.  This  state  of 
things  was,  however,  eventually  broken  in  upon  by  that  un- 
happy disposition,  which  is  found  among  imperfectly  sancti- 
fied men,  to  make  trouble.  For  several  years,  beginning  with 
1872,  trials  and  investigations,  with  efforts  to  secure  peace  and 


CLYDE  CHURCH  AND  REV.    A.    M.    MEILI.  267 

brotherly  love,  were  quite  common  in  this  part  of  the  Lord's 
Zion ;  they  even  became,  for  a  short  time,  a  little  disagreeably 
monotonous.  There  was  not  any  trouble  as  between  the 
ministers  themselves,  and  not  much  real  difficulty  with  minis- 
ters. But  in  several  of  the  churches  there  was  trouble  as 
between  members,  and  between  the  churches  and  their  min- 
isters. 

PLYMOUTH  TROUBLE. 

There  was  a  difficulty  between  the  Church  of  Plymouth  and 
their  pastor,  the  Rev.  J.  K.  Kost,  that  would  not  be  allayed 
even  with  the  dissolution  of  the  pastoral  relation.  The  atten- 
tion of  the  Presbytery  was  demanded,  and  a  committee  of  visit- 
ation and  counsel  had  to  be  appointed.  This  matter  had  not 
been  long  in  quieto  when,  in  1875,  there  came  up  from  the 
same  church  an  appeal  of  one  of  its  members,  a  Mr.  Manahan, 
from  the  action  of  the  session  against  himself.  This  had  to  be 
investigated. 

OTHER  CASES. 

Then  there  was  a  case  of  appeal  of  a  Mrs.  Herrick  against 
the  Church  of  Florence ;  and  also  one  of  a  Mr.  Prentiss,  against 
the  decisions  of  the  session  of  the  Monroeville  Church. 

These  cases  all  took  no  little  of  the  time  of  the  Presbytery 
for  several  of  the  meetings,  and  the  time  of  some  of  the  mem- 
bers between  the  meetings.  They  were,  however,  patiently 
attended  to,  and  were  either  settled,  or,  after  the  best  counsel 
the  Presbytery  thought  they  could  give,  dismissed  to  die  a 
natural  death. 

But,  perhaps,  as  sad  and  unfortunate  a  case  as  any  this  body 
has  ever  been  called  to  deal  with  was  that  of  the 

CLYDE  CHURCH  AND  REY.  A.  M.  MEILI. 

The  Church  of  Clyde  had  been  made  vacant  by  the  death  of 
Rev.  E.  R.  Chase,  whose  earnest  ministry-  had  been  apparently 
greatly  blessed  of  the  Lord. 


268  HISTORY  OF  HURON  PRESBYTERY. 

On  the  9th  of  September  following, — 1S74 — an  nnnsual 
occurrence  was  the  reception  of  the  Rev.  A.  M.  Meili,  by  tele- 
gram, from  the  Presbytery  of  Wooster.  This  was  doubtless  the 
first  time,  and  the  last  so  far,  in  the  history  of  the  Presbytery  of 
Huron  when  a  minister  was  received  from  another  body  by 
telegram,  and  it  is  also  the  only  time  in  which  it  placed  among 
its  licentiates  a  "  pervert "  from  the  Church  of  Rome;  and  it 
proved  to  be  an  unfortunate  reception  and  enrollment. 

Mr.  Meili  had  been  for  some  time  a  Catholic  priest.  As  such 
he  had  been  popular,  having  many  friends,  both  in  that  church, 
and  out  of  it  as  well.  He  w^as  a  man  always  full  of  the  evil 
effects  of  tobacco.  He  was  a  constant  smoker,  and  was  conse- 
quently nervous  and  restless.  His  nature  was  impulsive,  and 
he  could  not  endure  the  restraints  of  authority.  He  naturally 
became  dissatisfied  with  his  relations  in  the  Catholic  Church. 
He  was  at  the  time  of  his  displeasure  towards  his  Bishop, 
Pastor  of  the  Catholic  Church  in  Crestline,  Ohio.  Being  dis- 
posed to  resist  the  authority  of  his  Superior,  he  conceived  the 
idea  of  turning  Protestant.  His  mind  turned  toward  the  Pres- 
byterian denomination.  He  made  his  thoughts  known  to  Rev. 
J.  H.  Shields,  then  Pastor  of  the  Presbyterian  Church  in  Crest- 
line. He  made  a  fair  profession,  and  seemed  to  be  seeking 
purer  waters  and  better  pastures  than  were  offered  by  the 
Mother  Church.  Mr.  Shields,  unwilling  to  act  hastily,  or 
unwisely,  called  together  three  or  four  other  ministers  to  counsel 
with  himself  and  Mr.  Meili. 

The  result  was  that  Mr.  Meili  was,  after  due  examination,  and 
yet  evidently  with  undue  haste,  received  by  the  Presbytery  of 
Wooster.  He  was  under  the  care  of  that  Presbytery  as  a  licen- 
tiate, looking  for  some  work  in  which  to  engage.  He  was  a  man 
of  quite  respectable  appearance,  and  naturally  bright,  and 
capable  of  great  usefulness.  He  made  a  ftxir  impression  by  his 
religious  addresses.  After  being  under  the  care  of  Wooster 
Presbytery  but  three  or  four  months,  he  came  to  Huron  Presby- 
tery, to  take,  as  his  first  Protestant  charge,  the  oversight  of  the 
Church  of  Clyde — perhaps  the  last  church  in  the  body  that  he 


CLYDE   CHURCH  AND  REV.    A.    31.    3IEILI.  269 

should  have  been  permitted  to  supply.  With  this  object  in 
view  he  was  heartily  received  by  the  Presbytery.  After  a  time 
the  question  was  raised  as  to  his  real  status.  Was  he  only  a 
licentiate,  or  was  he  to  be  regarded  as  an  ordained  minister  ? 
A  committee,  with  Rev.  J.  T.  Pollock  as  chairman,  was 
appointed  to  make  proper  investigation  and  to  report.  On  the 
4th  of  May,  1875,  Mr.  Pollock  for  his  committee,  reported,  "  that 
certificates  in  the  hands  of  Mr.  Meili  showed  that  he  had  been 
ordained  as  a  Deacon  and  as  a  Priest  in  the  Episcopal  Church, 
by  Rev.  Bishop  Lee,  of  Iowa ;  and  in  consideration  of  the  fact 
that  the  Presbytery  of  Wooster,  according  to  the  official  state- 
ment of  the  clerk  of  said  Presbytery,  would  consider  Mr.  Meili 
an  ordained  minister  on  presentation  of  said  certificates,  the 
committee  recommended  that  he  be  considered  by  this  Presby- 
tery an  ordained  minister."  The  Presbytery  adopted  the  recom- 
mendation and  Mr.  Meili  was  accordingly  over  the  Church  of 
Clyde  as  an  ordained  minister.  This  action  of  the  Presbytery 
would  have  been  all  right  if  Mr.  Meili  had  been  all  right. 
Hardly  either,  when  we  consider  fairly  that  his  ordination  was 
by  an  Episcopal  Bishop  and  that  his  ministry  had  been  mainly 
in  the  Roman  Church.  But  let  that  pass.  It  is  an  easy  matter 
to  criticise  after  all  the  facts  have  come  in.  With  the  facts 
before  and  after  all  in  view,  we  are  constrained  to  say  that  it 
was  something  of  a  stretch  to  consider  Mr.  Meili  even  as  a 
licentiate  in  the  Presbyterian  Church.  To  have  drawn  the  line 
at  that  point  however,  would  not  have  prevented  the  evils  which 
came.  There  was  no  little  confidence  in  the  man ;  and  there 
was  strong  hope  that  he  would  prove  useful  in  the  Presbyterian 
ministry.  And  therefore,  even  the  prudent  men,  in  both  the 
Presbytery  of  Wooster  and  that  of  Huron,  fell  into  the  mistake 
of  undue  haste  in  advancing  him  into  the  full  work  of  the 
ministry. 

Mr.  Meili  was  the  stated  supply  of  the  church  in  Clyde  for 
about  a  year  and  a  half.  At  the  end  of  that  time  the  Presby- 
ter)"-  was  called  upon  to  undo,  if  possible,  some  of  his  work  and 
to  try  to  set  a  troubled  church  at  rights  again.     ]\Ir.   Meili's 


270  HISTORY  OF  HURON  PRESBYTERY. 

whole  previous  life  had  simply  unfitted  him  for  the  prudent 
and  Presbyterian  management  of  a  Presbyterian  church  in  the 
United  States.  He  was  a  foreigner  by  birth  and  knew  simply 
nothing  of  Presbyterian  ism.  His  ideas  of  church  government 
he  had  gotten  more  from  the  Pope  than  elsewhere,  and  his  ner- 
vous system  was  kept  in  an  unnatural  state  of  tension  by  his 
intemperate  use  of  tobacco,  so  that  it  is  not  surprising  that  he 
should  make  mistakes,  and  even  serious  ones,  though  we  must 
be  careful  not  to  lay  the  whole  blame  of  the  things  tliat  did 
occur  upon  him. 

By  request  of  members  of  the  Clyde  church,  a  "  Pro  re  nata  " 
meeting  of  the  Presbytery  was  called,  to  be  held  at  Fremont 
on  the  28th  of  December,  1875,  to  take  some  steps  toward  the 
settlement  of  certain  difficulties  in  said  church.  At  that  meet- 
ing it  was  only  decided,  after  hearing  the  case,  to  meet  in  Clyde 
on  the  24th  of  January,  1876,  and,  if  possible,  investigate  and 
in  some  way  dispose  of  the  difficult  questions  that  had  risen. 

Accordingly  the  body  met  in  Clyde  on  the  day  named,  a 
goodly  number  thereof  being  present,  and  faithfully  and  pa- 
tiently passed  through  an  investigation  of  a  very  unpleasant 
nature.  No  less  than  four  full  days  were  consumed,  and  testi- 
mony was  taken  covering  one  hundred  pages  of  foolscap  paper. 
Members  of  the  church  were  charged  with  dishonorable  con- 
duct, and  such  charges  had  to  be  investigated.  The  minister 
had  assumed,  without  sufficient  evidence  to  justify  the  act  if 
done  in  an  orderly  manner,  to  excommunicate  members  of  the 
church  without  any  trial  whatever  and  without  any  action  of 
the  Session.  One  of  the  several  members  so  dealt  with  was  a 
respected  member  of  the  Session. 

When  all  the  testimony  was  in,  and  before  the  eyes  of  the 
Presbytery,  it  was  found  that  there  was  a  large  fire  from  small 
kindlings.  There  was,  at  any  rate,  nothing  to  justify  the  Pres- 
bytery in  any  condemnation,  save  in  the  case  of  one  man,  who 
had  used  language  that  was  intemperate  and  overheated  (he 
Avas  not  the  only  one  who  had  done  so),  and  he  was  kindly 
and  solemnly  reproved. 


CLYDE  CHURCH  AND  REV.    A.    M.    MEILI.  271 

Mr.  Meili  himself  was  not  put  upon  trial  for  his  unwise  and 
un-Presbyterian  assumption  of  authority.  The  trials  that  were 
so  long  and  so  patiently  conducted  were  in  the  interest  of 
peace,  and  not  for  condemnation  or  destruction.  The  Presb}^- 
tery,  with  its  best  and  wisest  men — as  Dr.  Newton,  Dr.  Bush- 
nell,  Rev.  J.  H.  Walters,  and  others — in  the  front,  did  its  duty, 
reached  its  conclusions,  and  communicated  them  to  the  church 
and  hoped  for  good  results.  Still  the  difficulties  which  had  so 
little  apparently  to  base  themselves  upon,  would  not  be  thus 
settled. 

Mr.  Meili,  of  necessity,  ceased  his  ministrations  to  the  church. 
But,  unfortunately,  while  he  was  so  greatly  at  fault,  and  while 
a  wiser,  better  man  would  probably  have  guided  the  church 
clear  of  any  outbreak,  yet  the  fault  was  not  wholly  with  him. 
Bad  feeling  had  been  engendered,  ill  passions  aroused,  and 
scorching  words  had  been  spoken,  for  which  the  people  were  to 
be  blamed  rather  than  their  preacher.  These  feelings  were  not 
easily  allayed.  The  results  were  for  the  time  disastrous  to  the 
church.  Prior  to  the  troubles  it  had  upon  its  roll  over  seventy 
members.  These  were  reduced  by  withdrawing  and  abscond- 
ing until,  a  few  months  after,  there  were  not  more  than  thirty 
who  were  willing  to  stand  together  as  the  Presbyterian  Church 
of  Clyde. 

The  work  of  the  Presbytery  with  this  church  was  not  ended 
with  the  decisions  reached  at  the  close  of  the  trials  named. 
Again  and  again  for  several  years  the  difficult}^  would  present 
itself  in  some  form  or  other.  There  seemed  to  be  a  trouble  in 
and  about  the  eldership,  so  that  the  Session  could  not  meet  the 
difficulties.  The  Presbytery  sought  to  relieve  them  by  direct- 
ing them  all,  for  the  time  being,  to  cease  to  act  in  their  capa- 
city as  elders,  and  by  appointing  a  Presbyterial  commission  to 
act  for  them  as  the  Session  of  the  church.  This  effort  at  pru- 
dential kindness  on  the  part  of  the  Presbytery  was  misunder- 
stood by  several  of  the  elders,  who  persisted  in  thinking  they 
were  suspended,  or  something  of  the  kind,  as  guilty  parties, 
without  any  charges  being  tabled  or  hearing  granted.     The 


272  HISTORY  OF  HURON  PRESBYTERY. 

matter  went  up  to  Synod  in  the  form  of  an  appeal  from  two 
elders  who  thought  they  had  been  thus  wronged  and  that 
Presbytery  had  transcended  its  bounds.  The  action  of  the 
Presbytery  was  in  substance  sustained,  as  it  was  not  a  new 
thing  under  the  sun. 

Still,  it  was  only  after  some  months  that  peace  was  restored. 
The  church,  with  its  greatly-reduced  membership,  yet  holding 
together,  got  again  to  work.  The  Rev.  J.  S.  Axtell  came  to  its 
relief,  became  its  pastor  after  a  while,  and  patiently  went  for- 
ward in  the  discharge  of  his  duties,  while  gradually,  inch  by 
inch,  the  lost  ground  gave  hope  of  being  recovered.  A  feeling 
of  courage  and  faith  was  again  manifest. 

As  for  Mr.  Meili,  the  Presbytery  had  for  some  time  no  little 
trouble  to  know  what  to  do  with  him.  He  did  not  feel  satis- 
fied with  the  body  or  with  anything,  not  even  with  himself. 
Finally  after  several  years,  mostly  spent  out  of  the  bounds  of 
this  body,  he  was  dismissed  to  another.  He  preached  in  other 
denominations  for  a  time,  and  the  body  to  which  he  was  dis- 
missed was  the  German  Evangelical  Sj'nod  of  North  America. 
He  at  one  time,  after  having  requested  that  his  name  be 
dropped  from  the  roll,  and  after  this  had  been  done,  in  an 
orderly  way,  wrote  so  penitent  a  letter  to  the  Presbytery  that 
the  action  was  reconsidered,  and  the  name  restored  to  its  place. 
And  in  view  of  the  spirit  of  the  letter,  the  body  passed  a 
resolution  of  "  sympathy  with  Brother  Meili  in  his  mental 
struggles  to  cast  oft'  the  last  bonds  of  Romanism,  and  rejoiced 
with  him  in  the  light  to  which  he  had  come."  But  it  was 
proven  in  the  course  of  time  that  his  Romanism  had  not  been 
w^hoUy  cast  off".  Eventually,  in  1883,  he  cast  himself,  a  disap- 
pointed penitent,  upon  the  bosom  of  his  former  mother,  the 
Papal  Church,  humbly  declaring  as  he  returned,  that  "  if  the 
Church  could  forgive  him  for  his  wanderings  they  could  do 
more  than  he  could  himself"  He  asked  Catholics  to  pray  for 
him  to  the  Lord  and  the  blessed  Mother,  that  he  might  have 
time  and  strength  yet  to  make  some  reparation  for  the  wrong 
committed. 


JUDICIAL  PROCEEDINGS.  273 

OTHER  CASES. 

These  were  not  the  only  difficulties  the  Presbytery  was  called 
upon  to  settle.  None  however  besides  these  were  of  a  very 
serious  nature  except  a  trouble  between  individuals  and  families 
in  the  Church  of  Olena.  This  called  for  special  meeting  and 
effort  to  bring  about  a  better  state  of  feeling.  Indeed,  a  trial 
and  investigation  were  endured,  for  the  sake  of  the  purity  and 
peace  of  the  Church. 

This  church  was  still  not  in  the  most  happy  condition  when 
Rev.  T.  C.  Thomas,  a  member  of  the  Presbytery  of  Dayton, 
became  the  stated  supply  for  it  and  the  church  of  Peru. 

Mr.  Thomas  began  preaching  for  these  congregations  on  a 
stipulated  salary.  He  still  continued  to  preach  for  them  after 
some  of  them  were  unwilling  to  pay  him  the  salary.  And  he 
continued  until  the  arrears  were  something  considerable.  Then 
there  arose  a  dispute  between  the  minister  and  the  churches  as 
to  whether  the  full  salary  originally  promised  was  due.  He 
claimed  it  in  full.  They  denied  the  justness  of  the  claim.  Mr. 
Thomas  gave  up  the  field,  yet  claiming  the  unpaid  salary  as 
due  him.  This  matter  came  before  the  Presbytery  in  April, 
1886.  The  Judicial  Committee  gave  several  hours  to  hearing 
both  sides  of  the  dispute,  after  which  they  tried  to  settle  it  on 
the  principle  of  compromise  and  equity.  There  was  some 
reason  in  the  attitude  of  the  churches.  They  had  not  expected 
to  pay  Mr.  Thomas,  after  the  disaffection  arose,  the  full  salary 
at  first  stipulated.  They  did  not  wish  him  to  remain.  Yet 
there  had  been  no  fixed  agreement,  on  his  part,  to  preach  for 
what  he  might  happen  to  receive.     At  least  none  was  proven. 

In  view  of  these  facts  the  committee  advised  the  parties,  and 
on  their  recommendation  the  Presbytery  did  the  same,  that 
each  should  yield  in  part,  the  churches  to  pay  the  sum  claimed 
in  part,  and  the  minister  to  accept  in  part.  The  minister 
declared  his  willingness  to  abide  by  the  recommendation.  But 
the  churches  refused,  and  it  is  believed  that  the  preacher  never 
got  any  further  pay  for  his  services. 
18 


274  IIISrORY  OF  HURON  PRESBYTERY. 

V.  REVIVALS. 

It  is  pleasant  to  turn  from  the  subject  of  judicial  investiga- 
tions and  trials  to  that  of  revivals,  of  which  there  are  some 
interesting  records  in  the  history  of  Huron  Presbytery. 

The  idea  of  special  efforts  for  revival  has  been  encouraged 
by  this  body  through  all  its  years.  We  read  of  times  of  great 
coldness,  when  the  ministry  see  worldliness  and  sin  everywhere, 
and  long  for  a  better  state  of  things,  and  we  read  of  rejoicings. 

In  1827  there  was  an  earnest  desire  for  revivals  of  religion, 
and  the  question  was  discussed  as  to  the  most  suitable  means  of 
promoting  them.  The  same  is  true  of  1832  and  1833,  and  it  is 
especially  true  of  1843.  In  that  year  a  desire  for  a  general 
awakening  prevailed,  and  a  convention  of  the  Presl)ytery  was 
held  at  Plymouth,  on  the  14th  of  November,  to  deliberate  upon 
the  best  means  of  securing  it.  The  Convention  was  opened 
with  a  sermon  by  Rev.  E.  Judson  from  the  words,  "  His  truth 
shall  be  thy  shield  and  buckler." 

The  members  were  called  upon  individually  to  express  their 
opinion  upon  the  question  that  had  brought  them  together. 
After  some  time  spent  in  conference  they  decided  that, "  inasmuch 
as  pastoral  visitation  and  the  frequent  intercourse  of  Christians 
and  churches  have  been  blessed  of  God  to  quicken  the  zeal 
and  confirm  the  faith  of  believers,  and  to  promote  the  salva- 
tion of  men,  therefore  they  would  enter  upon  a  course  of 
extensive  and  thorough  pastoral  visitation."  They  decided  to 
go  in  committees  of  two  or  three  to  visit  every  church  under 
their  care,  and  to  protract  their  visits  over  at  least  one  Sabbath, 
preaching  and  administering  the  Lord's  Supper,  thus  seeking 
to  awaken  an  interest  in  holy  things  in  the  minds  of  the 
converted  and  unconverted. 

As  the  Presbytery  did  not  adopt  the  custom  of  recording  the 
narrative  of  the  state  of  religion  in  its  bounds  till  1846,  we  are 
not  informed  as  to  the  exact  results  of  this  system  of  visitation. 
But  we  do  know  that  some  of  the  churches  did  have  times  of 
refreshing.  The  church  of  Lyme  especially  is  named  as  having 


REVIVALS.  275 

been  favored  with  a  succession  of  revivals  from  1830  to  1840, 
and  also  in  the  year  1843-4,  resulting  in  a  considerable  num- 
ber of  additions.  So  also  was  it  at  Milan  during  the  ministry 
of  Rev.  E.  Judson  from  1829  to  1848.  In  that  time  there  were 
frequent  awakenings,  and  several  of  them  were  revivals  of 
great  power,  adding  much  to  the  strength  of  the  church. 

It  is  not  likely  that  the  proposed  plan  of  pastoral  visitation 
could  be  faithfully  carried  out  without  some  good  results.  It 
has  been  adopted  several  times  by  the  ministers  and  elders  of 
this  Presbytery,  and  with  encouraging  success. 

In  the  years  of  1847  and  1848  the  narratives  of  the  state 
of  religion  in  the  churches  are  rather  mournful  documents. 
There  was  general  lamentation  over  the  withdrawal  of  the 
special  operations  of  the  Holy  Ghost.  Very  few  were  added  to 
the  churches.  The  losses  about  equaled  the  gains.  Sabbath 
desecration  and  worldliness  were  on  the  increase.  These  facts 
were  a  burden  upon  the  hearts  of  these  watchmen  on  Zion's 
walls.  Ministers  and  people  were  called  upon  to  lament  them 
before  God  and  to  inquire  into  their  cause. 

The  Presbytery  was  moved  to  consider  the  subject  of  family 
religious  instruction,  to  try  "  to  turn  the  hearts  of  the  fathers 
to  the  children,  and  of  the  children  to  their  fathers." 

When  religion  was  in  decline  and  few  souls  were  being 
saved,  they  began  to  look  at  the  homes,  and  to  ask,  "  What  is 
becoming  of  the  seed  of  the  Church?  Are  parents  faithful? 
Are  ministers  discharging  their  full  duty  ?  " 

This  subject  of  family  Christian  training  had  the  attention 
of  Presbytery  during  several  of  its  sessions  in  these  years,  and 
soon  a  better  light  and  a  brighter  hope  dawns  upon  some  of 
the  churches.  In  1852-3  the  narratives  indicate  more  life  and 
growth,  there  is  encouragement  and  thankfulness.  Several  of 
the  churches  were  revived.  Still,  the  churches  were  not  greatly 
or  generally  awakened  until  1857-8. 

It  was  in  1857  that  the  desire  was  expressed  for  the  appoint- 
ment of  a  day  for  united  and  special  prayer  for  the  conversion 
of  the  world.     The  General  Assemblies  of  both  the  Old  and  New 


276  HISTORY  OF  HURON  PRESBYTERY. 

School  bodies  took  an  interest  in  the  matter,  and  in  1858  they 
recommended  to  their  clmrches  to  spend  the  first  Monday 
in  January  in  earnest  prayer  for  this  one  great  object.  Already, 
however,  had  the  first  week  in  January,  1858,  been  devoted 
through  a  considerable  part  of  the  country  to  prayer  and 
effort  for  general  revival  and  conversion.  The  results  were 
immediately  manifest  in  this  land  and  in  otliers.  God's 
people  were  quickened  and  large  numbers  were  added  to  the 
churches.  The  financial  disasters  of  1857-8  seemed  to  have 
been  turned  by  God  to  a  salutary  end.  His  Holy  Spirit  at 
least  followed  them  with  great  awakenings. 

The  Presbytery  of  Huron  did  not  fail  to  participate  in  this 
blessed  interest.  The  churches  of  this  body  were  already 
realizing  the  presence  of  the  divine  power,  when  the  ministers 
and  elders  in  session,  in  September,  1858,  expressed  their 
hearty  approval  of  the  recommendation  of  the  Assembly,  and 
they  said,  further,  "  That  as  the  churches  of  our  land,  and  some 
of  those  within  our  own  bounds,  have  been  visited  with  an  out- 
pouring of  the  Spirit,  and  as  the  indications  of  His  presence 
are  still  visible,  and  we  seem  to  be  on  the  eve  of  greater  bless- 
ings; we  therefore  are  called  upon  to  return  thanks  to  the 
Great  Head  of  the  Church  for  these  manifestations  of  His  grace, 
and  especially  as  ministers,  that  we  are  permitted  to  labor  in 
these  times  of  refreshing  from  the  presence  of  the  Lord ;  and 
we  are  urged  to  greater  diligence  in  our  work,  to  more  entire 
consecration,  to  more  earnest  prayer,  and  to  greater  simplicity 
in  preaching  the  Gospel  of  Christ ;  and  so  also  are  our  churches 
called  upon  to  humble  themselves,  and  to  seek  by  prayer  the 
blessings  of  God ;  and  those  churches  which  have  remained 
unblest  should  inquire  diligently.  What  is  the  cause  ?  " 


NO  TRAVELING  EVANGELIST  EMPLOYED. 

It  is  to  be  noted  that  Huron  Presb3''tery  has  never  been  in 
the  habit  of  employing  evangelists  in  revival  work.  Dr.  New- 
ton says  that  "  this  class  of  laborers  at  first  were  received  with 


NO    TRAVELING   EVANGELIST  E3IPL0YED.  211 

favor  by  both  ministers  and  churches,  and  were  much  employed 
in  the  eastern  part  of  the  Reserve  up  to  about  1840.  But, 
though  unquestionably  some  good  was  done,  evils  began  to 
spring  up  which  in  the  minds  of  manj'-  overbalanced  the  bene- 
fits. ^Meanwhile,  the  Presbytery  was  favored  with  having 
among  its  own  ministers  two  men  possessing  in  a  high  degree 
the  confidence  of  the  churches,  earnest  and  zealous,  effective 
preachers,  of  good  common  sense,  well  acquainted  with  the 
churches,  having  labored  among  them  as  pastors  or  as  stated 
supplies  for  a  number  of  years. 

"  These  men  were  accustomed  to  leave  their  own  charges  and 
go  out  together  among  the  churches  of  the  Presbj^tery  wherever 
and  whenever  there  seemed  to  be  a  demand  for  such  efforts. 
Their  labors  proved  very  useful.  Several  of  the  churches  were 
greatly  revived  and  some  new  ones  were  organized.  From  this 
experience,  and  from  the  fruits  of  evangelism  as  seen  in  some 
portions  of  the  Reserve  at  that  day,  the  conclusion  which  the 
Presbytery  formed  on  the  subject  was,  that  religion  was  best 
promoted  by  employing  only  or  mainly  its  own  ministry. 

"  This  wise  conclusion  seems  to  have  been  reached  without 
any  formal  discussion  or  vote  on  the  subject." 

No  doubt  many  other  parts  of  the  Lord's  Zion  would  have 
been  in  better  condition  had  ministers  and  churches  acted  on 
the  same  principle.  There  are  true  and  worthy  evangelists 
whom  it  is  safe  and  wise  to  admit  into  any  of  our  churches. 
This  Presbytery  in  its  later  years,  more  especially,  or  entirely, 
since  the  reunion,  has  found  no  reason  to  complain  that  such 
evangelists  have  been  employed  by  several  of  the  churches.  In 
a  very  few  instances  such  help  has  been  sought,  and  with  good 
results.  The  whole  question  here  turns  upon  the  kind  of  evan- 
gelists that  may  be  employed.  If  they  be  men  of  sound  doc- 
trinal views  and  of  prudence  and  carefulness  in  their  work, 
and  come  simpl}^  as  helpers  to  gather  a  harvest,  the  blessing  of 
God  may  be  with  them  and  lasting  benefits  may  result  to  both 
ministers  and  churches ;  especially  so  if  the  efforts  are  followed 
by  faithful  pastoral  watchfulness.     But  it  is  to  be  feared  that 


278  HISTORY  OF  HURON  PRESBYTERY. 

the  history  of  the  country  shows  that  all  evangelists  have  by  no 
means  been  of  this  class.  Often  enough  have  pastors  and 
churches  been  left  to  regret  that  the  professional  evangelist  has 
ever  been  allowed  to  enter  their  folds.  Nothing  scarcely  is  more 
to  be  regretted  than  false  fire,  and  false  notions,  and  misleading 
zeal  in  the  cause  of  God  in  the  salvation  of  men  at  times  of 
so-called  revival. 

It  will  be  remembered  that  one  of  the  evils  complained  of  in 
the  General  Assembly  in  1836-7  was  this  unsound  and  hurtful 
evangelism  in  Western  New  York  and  on  the  Western  Reserve. 
It  is  freely  admitted  that  it  did  exist  in  some  regions,  and  that 
therefore  the  complaint  was  not  wholly  groundless.  But  full 
credit  must  be  given  to  Huron  Presbytery  in  that  she  would 
clear  her  skirts  of  anything  of  this  kind.  The  ministers  here 
had  noted  the  evil  as  it  was  manifest  in  other  places,  and  they 
had  avoided  it  as  with  the  instinct  of  self-preservation.  They 
had  been  deeply  and  longingly  interested  in  revival  work,  and 
to  promote  it  they  had  held  special  conventions  and  had  con- 
ducted protracted  religious  services  in  their  churches.  But  they 
had  relied  upon  their  own  known  and  trusted  fellow  pres- 
byters for  evangelistic  work.  Rev.  E.  Judson,  and  Rev.  E. 
Conger,  though  they  were  not  the  only  men  who  were  helpful 
at  such  times,  yet  were  regarded  as  especially  so,  and  they 
were  men  who  were  willing  to  aid  their  brethren  in  such  work. 
So  that  it  was  not  so  pressingly  needful  in  their  days  of  activity 
to  seek  outside  aid,  and  it  was  not  sought.  The  carefulness  of 
the  presbyterial  fathers  is  manifest.  It  is  a  matter  of  record 
that  upon  one  occasion  there  was  some  thought  of  inviting  an 
evangelist  who  was  laboring  with  apparent  success  elsewhere. 
A  committee,  however,  of  two  of  the  pastors  was  directed  to 
visit  the  evangelist,  to  wdtness  and  consider  his  methods  and 
work ;  and  having  done  so  they  were  to  act  according  to  tlieir 
own  judgment  about  inviting  him.  The  evangelist,  whose 
name  and  place  of  work  are  not  given,  was  visited.  But  he 
was  not  honored  with  an  invitation  to  labor  in  any  of  the 
churches  of  Huron  Presbyter3^    With  such  a  careful  spirit, 


THE    WORK  IN  1857-8-9.  279 

observed  both  before  and  after  tlie  "  Excision,"  the  members  of 
this  Presbyter}^  could  truthfully  say  to  the  General  Assembly, 
when  it  had  included  them  with  others  in  the  exscinding  act, 
"  We  are  not  guilty  of  offense  either  in  doctrine  or  in  practice ; 
a  fair  examination  will  prove  this."  It  will  be  remembered 
that  they  said  in  their  reply  to  the  action  of  the  Assembly, 
"  No  evangelist  has  ever,  at  any  time,  labored  as  such  among 
our  churches.  And  all  protracted  meetings  that  have  been 
held  have  been  conducted  by  the  pastors  or  stated  supplies  of 
our  congregations,  with  the  exception  of  one  meeting  in  a 
church  which  has  since  withdrawn  from  our  connection." 

The  disposition  to  avoid  the  evangelist  continued  after  Mr. 
Judson  had  gone  to  his  rest  and  Mr.  Conger  had  begun  to  feel 
the  effects  of  age. 

By  the  work  and  under  the  care  of  earnest,  faithful  ministers, 
either  as  pastors  or  stated  supplies,  the  churches  had  held  their 
own ;  they  had  grown  even  in  times  when  national  questions 
agitated  and,  in  some  regions,  made  trouble  in  the  Lord's 
house,  and  when  the  world  seemed  largely  to  have  its  own 
way.  Occasionally  during  these  years,  here  and  there,  there 
was  revival,  as  the  Spirit  of  God  hovered  over  His  people. 

THE  WORK  IN  1857-8-9. 

But  the  interest  was  evidently  deeper  and  more  general  in 
these  years  (1857-8-9)  than  it  had  been  at  any  time  previous 
in  the  history  of  this  body.  Falling  into  line  with  so  many 
ministers  and  churches  in  other  parts  of  the  land,  these  min- 
isters and  churches  put  on  anew  God's  armor,  humbled  them- 
selves at  His  feet,  and  sought  Him  by  prayer,  and  they  realized 
those  precious  results  which  prove  that  God  is  ever  willing  to 
hear,  to  bless,  and  to  save. 

The  narrative  of  the  state  of  religion  recorded  for  the  April 
meeting  of  1858"  is  quite  an  advance  on  that  of  the  year  previ- 
ous. It  tells  us  that  the  interest  in  the  churches  is  more  general 
than  for  some  years  past,  that  several  of  the  churches  were 


280  HISTORY  OF  HURON  PRESBYTERY. 

enjoying  the  gentle  sliowers  of  God's  grace,  and  that  the  spirit 
of  prayer  and  of  desire  for  the  greater  outpouring  of  the  Holy 
Ghost  was  deepening  and  spreading.  There  was  then  just  such  a 
state  of  things  as  would  inspire  great  hope.  The  narrative  for 
the  meeting  of  April,  1859,  indicates  a  still  better  state  of 
things.  It  says  that  decided  progress  had  been  made — "  not 
that  there  had  been  a  general  or  powerful  revival,  but  that,  as 
at  no  time  for  years  past,  Christians  were  anxious  to  know  the 
truths  of  Christianity  as  they  are  in  Christ,  there  was  an  in- 
creased attendance  on  public  worship  in  most  of  the  churches, 
there  was  more  careful  study  of  the  Bible  on  the  part  of  old 
and  young,  the  Sabbath  schools  were  enlarged,  the  Shorter 
Catechism  was  more  than  ever  studied,  and  household  conse- 
cration and  family  prayer  were  receiving  attention  in  a  more 
marked  degree." 

God  had  in  a  special  manner  visited  the  churches  of  Fremont 
and  Olena,  and  about  ninety  souls  had  been  converted  in  these 
two  places. 

The  benevolent  spirit  had  been  awakened ;  the  contributions 
were  increased  to  reach  the  sum  of  over  SIOOO.  The  year  fol- 
lowing they  reached  $1200.  The  prayer  meetings  were  attended 
by  increased  numbers  and  with  increased  interest.  The  debts 
of  the  churches,  either  on  their  own  church  property  or  on  their 
unpaid  pledges  to  Western  Reserve  College,  were  either  paid  in 
full  or  set  in  a  way  soon  to  be  paid. 

These  must  be  regarded  as  among  the  very  best  evidences  of 
that  state  of  things  which  we  ma}'^  denominate  hopeful. 

Most  of  the  churches  continued  to  grow,  some  of  them  per- 
haps slowly,  yet  permanently.  In  1857,  with  sixteen  churches, 
there  were  1131  communicants.  In  this  year  there  were  added 
on  examination  eighty-two.  In  1858  there  were  added  only 
thirty-five ;  in  1859,  ninety-three,  and  in  ISGO  ninety-two  were 
added,  indicating  a  healthful  and  continued  revival  growth. 
The  whole  number  of  communicants  in  1860was  1190,  a  net 
gain  of  sixty  over  the  year  1857. 

This   awakening  may  be  note^  as  general,  rather  than  as 


1862-1866.  281 

especially  powerful.  It  prepared  the  churches  for  the  years  of 
war  and  agitation,  during  all  of  which  years  the  churches  were 
awake  and  prayerful  and  were  growing.  In  1862  the  churches 
of  Monroe ville,  Milan,  Olena,  and  Peru  enjoyed  gentle  refresh- 
ings from  the  Lord,  and  the  united  membership  in  all  the 
congregations  had  reached  1274.  The  war  drove  many  of 
God's  people  to  their  knees  with  intensified  earnestness  in 
prayer.     The  fire  was  kept  alive  on  God's  altar. 

At  the  close  of  the  war,  in  18G5,  several  of  tlie  churches, 
notably  Norwalk  and  Monroeville,  report  precious  revivals, 
while  a  number  of  others,  as  Sandusky,  Fremont,  Milan,  and 
Huron,  report  an  increased  state  of  religious  interest  and  pros- 
perity. This  was  before  the  war  cloud  was  wliolly  dispersed. 
The  year  following,  1865-6,  was  one  of  the  most  blessed  years 
in  the  whole  history  of  the  Presbytery.  The  interest  that 
seemed  to  have  been  kept  alive  during  the  national  struggle 
then  culminated.  Peace  to  the  nation  brought  with  it  thankful- 
ness and  joy  in  God  to  Christian  people,  and  there  came  down 
ere  long  the  showers  of  saving  grace.  But  few  of  the  churches 
in  this  body  failed  to  receive  some  token  of  love  and  power- 
"  Never  before,"  says  the  narrative,  "  were  our  churches  gener- 
ally in  a  more  prosperous  condition."  Eight  of  them  had  en- 
joyed marked  revivals  of  religion.  These  eight  were  Plymouth, 
Lyme,  Monroeville,  Milan,  Norwalk,  Sandusky,  Bloom  ville,  and 
Republic.  Numbers  had  been  added  to  them.  Fremont  also 
had  experienced  something  of  an  awakening. 

There  were  some  very  interesting  cases,  illustrative  of  saving 
grace,  in  these  places.  The  Bible  was  studied  with  deepening 
interest  and  concern.  Evil  habits  were  put  away.  Family 
altars  were  erected  and  places  for  secret  prayer  were  found. 
The  liberality  of  God's  people  was  quickened  in  a  marked 
degree.  In  fact,  just  w^hat  God  does  when  He  is  abroad  and 
working  mightily  in  any  community  was  done  among  these 
churches. 

This  year  183  persons  were  added  to  the  churches  on  the 
profession  of  their  faith,  and  fifty-five  by  letter.     Besides  these 


282  HISTORY  OF  HURON  PRESBYTERY. 

there  were  more  than  a  hundred  converts  who  had  not  yet 
united  in  open  profession.  There  had  been  eighty -four  adult 
baptisms  and  fifty  baptisms  of  children.  The  number  of  com- 
municants, that  had  been  less  than  1200  at  the  commence- 
ment of  the  war,  was  now  1400.  And  gratitude  in  view  of  all 
that  God  had  wrought  flowed  from  all  hearts. 


REVIVAL  OF  1872-3. 

The  narrative  presented  to  the  meeting  in  April,  1873,  was, 
without  exception,  the  most  interesting  and  encouraging  in 
the  whole  histor}^  of  the  Presbytery.  It  speaks  of  the  wonders 
God  had  wrought,  the  triumphs  of  His  grace. 

It  was  written  by  Rev.  J.  H.  Walter,  who  was  chairman  of 
the  Committee  on  Narrative.  He  had  been  a  participant  in 
much  of  the  work,  his  own  church  having  been  one  of  the 
most  graciously  visited.  His  heart  was  therefore  greatly 
enlarged  at  the  time,  and  the  narrative  is  worthy  of  being 
preserved  in  full.     It  is  here  given  : — 

"  The  Presbytery  have  occasion  for  devout  gratitude  to  God 
in  view  of  the  general  prosperity  that  has  attended  our  work, 
and  especially  because  of  the  most  remarkable  and  gracious 
outpouring  of  the  Spirit  ever  known  in  our  history. 

"  Large  congregations  are  reported,  flourishing  Sunday- 
schools,  peace  in  the  churches,  and  increase  in  the  contributions 
to  the  benevolent  work  of  the  Church,  with  a  disposition  to  aid 
all  the  causes  recommended  by  the  General  Assembly.  The 
churches  have  been  supplied  with  the  stated  preaching  of  the 
Gospel,  with  two  or  three  exceptions.  Three  of  our  churches 
are  about  to  install  pastors,  viz.,  Fostoria,  and  Bloom ville  and 
Melmore  jointly.  The  church  at  Elmore  is  erecting  a  house 
of  worship,  and  the  church  at  Fremont  is  completing  the 
furnishing  of  their  new  sanctuary. 

"  The  churches  that  have  shared  in  the  revival  influence  are 
the  following — Fostoria,  Fremont,  Clyde,  Olena,  Peru,  Huron, 
Sandusky,    Elmore,   Xorwalk,    and   Milan.      The    statistical 


REVIVAL   OF  1872-3.  283 

report  will  give  the  numbers  added  to  the  churches — a  total  of 
nearly  three  hundred,  nearly  all  the  fruits  of  the  revival,  and 
a  greater  number  by  five  times  than  the  average  of  yearly 
additions.  These  converts  are  from  all  classes — the  young, 
members  of  our  Sabbath  schools,  and  of  Christian  families, 
heads  of  households,  as  is  shown  by  the  large  number  of 
family  altars  erected,  also  from  the  vicious,  the  intemperate 
and  the  profane,  the  Sabbath  breakers,  and  those  who  have 
habitually  neglected  the  means  of  grace. 

"  Besides  those  already  connected  with  the  churches,  there 
are  one  hundred  and  fifty  or  more  who  will  unite  in  the  future ; 
and  the  whole  number  belonging  to  the  different  denomina- 
tions, including  those  already  noticed  and  within  our  bounds, 
is  probably  not  less  than  one  thousand  souls. 

"  This  extensive  and  wonderful  work  of  grace  began  last 
autumn  in  Norwalk,  Huron  County,  and  about  November 
24th,  through  a  visit  of  a  delegation  of  the  Young  Men's  Chris- 
tian Association,  of  Cleveland.  Earnest  appeals  from  these 
young  men  awakened  Christians  and  led  impenitent  men  to  a 
serious  consideration  of  their  immortal  interest.  Meetings  were 
appointed  and  continued  from  day  to  day.  Rev.  H.  H.  Wells, 
an  evangelist  of  the  Cleveland  Presbytery,  and  one  of  the  dele- 
gation, was  invited  to  remain  and  continue  his  labors.  Meet- 
ings were  crowded  and  of  deep  interest,  giving  evident  tokens 
of  the  presence  of  the  Spirit.  All  evangelical  denominations 
united  in  these  services.  The  large  congregations  before  the  close 
of  the  first  week  necessitated  holding  the  services  in  the  Pres- 
byterian church,  it  being  the  only  one  sufficient  to  accommodate 
the  people.  At  times  both  the  main  audience  room  and  the 
Sunday-school  room  were  filled.  The  solemn  scenes  connected 
with  these  meetings  cannot  be  adequately  described.  The  quiet 
and  deep  solemnity  during  the  preaching  service,  the  tender- 
ness of  the  inquir}'-  meetings — all  were  evidences  of  the  power 
of  God.  Rev.  Mr.  Wells  remained  for  two  weeks,  after  which 
the  pastors  of  the  place  preached  nightly.  Conversions  occurred 
daily.     Prayer  meetings  were  held  in  private  houses,  at  livery 


284  HISTORY  OF  HURON  PRESBYTERY. 

stables,  in  the  hotel,  the  saloon,  and  the  store.  The  whole  town 
was  awakened,  and  men  exclaimed,  '  IIow  dreadful  is  this 
place ! ! '  Probably  five  hundred  souls  were  converted  in  the 
town  of  Norwalk.     For  three  months  the  interest  continued. 

"  A  few  weeks  after  this  work  began  in  Norwalk  there  were 
frequent  calls  for  delegations  from  that  place  to  visit  other 
towns.  These  delegations  were  blessed  of  the  Spirit  in  awak- 
ening many  souls.  Through  one  of  these  visits  to  Milan  the 
work  of  grace  was  commenced  there,  the  last  week  of  December, 
1872.  The  week  of  prayer  gave  new  impulse  to  the  w^ork,  and 
from  that  time  meetings  continued,  twice  a  day,  for  nearly  three 
months.  The  largest  house  of  worship  was  filled  to  hear  preach- 
ing by  the  pastors  and  to  listen  to  delegations  from  Norwalk 
or  Cleveland.  On  one  occasion  about  two  hundred  rose  for 
prayer — one-half  of  them  indulging  hope.  Though  revivals 
of  great  power  have  been  witnessed  in  this  place,  no  such  reli- 
gious interest  has  ever  stirred  this  community.  In  all  respects 
the  revival  in  Milan  is  a  type  of  that  in  Norwalk. 

"  What  has  been  said  of  these  two  places  is  generally  true  of 
others.  A  few  of  the  more  prominent  characteristics  may  be 
noted : — 

"  1st.  Lay  effort  has  been  largely  employed ;  men  and  women 
have  engaged  in  the  work,  socially  and  privately,  as  well  as  the 
ministers. 

"  2d.  The  plain  preaching  of  the  truth  by  the  pastors.  Only 
the  two  weeks  of  labor  by  Mr.  Wells  has  been  had  by  any 
evangelist. 

"  3d.  Christian  union  has  prevailed.  Pastors  and  people  have 
labored  together  with  fraternal  courtesy,  though  of  different 
denominations.  Caviling  has  been  stopped.  Most  of  the  meet- 
tings  w^ere  union  meetings. 

"  4th.  The  absence  of  undue  excitement.  The  testimony  to 
this  is  uniform.  Meetings,  though  crowded,  have  been  still 
and  solemn. 

"  5th.  The  power  of  daily  united  prayer  and  of  secret  suppli- 
cation has  been  demonstrated.  Numerous  cases  of  direct  answer 
were  noted. 


CABE  FOB    THE    WEAKEB   CHUBCHES.  285 

"  6th.  The  work  done  months  and  years  before  is  seen  in  this 
revival.  Pra3^ers  long  since  offered  have  been  answered,  and 
labors  long  ago  done  have  produced  a  harvest. 

"  Finally.  There  is  the  strongest  evidence  that  this  is  the 
Lord's  work,  and  not  man's.  Many  have  been  converted  with- 
out any  known  human  counsel  or  guidance. 

"  In  view  of  this  wondrous  work,  unprecedented  in  our  history, 
we  praise  the  Great  Head  of  the  Church,  to  whom  we  give  all 
the  glory  now  and  forever." 

Thus  ends  this  precious  and  touching  narrative. 

In  addition  to  the  facts  presented  b}^  it,  it  would  not  be  out 
of  place  to  note  some  things  concerning  the  work  of  grace  at 
Fostoria,  about  the  same  time,  though  not  in  any  way  appar- 
ently connected  therewith.  In  Fostoria  the  meetings  were 
mainly  held  during  the  months  of  January  and  February,  1873. 
The  way  had  been  prepared  for  the  blessing  to  the  church 
through  the  earnest  and  faithful  labors  of  its  young  minister, 
Rev.  J.  Emory  Fisher. 

The  result  was  that  somewhere  about  thirty  souls  were  added 
to  this  then  weak  and  struggling  church,  nearly  doubling  its 
real  membership.  A  new  hope  and  impulse  were  thus  given  to 
the  Fostoria  church,  from  which  it  has  gone  forward,  increasing 
in  numbers  and  influence  from  year  to  year. 

Of  this  work  fuller  notice  will  be  found  in  the  history  of  that 
church.  Other  churches  also  have,  from  time  to  time,  had  their 
awakenings  and  their  ingatherings,  of  which  some  account  may 
be  given  in  the  individual  narratives  concerning  those  churches. 
Indeed,  about  all  of  the  churches  of  the  Presbytery  have  at 
some  time,  or  times,  experienced  the  special  presence  and  favor 
of  the  Lord. 


VI.    CARE  FOR  THE  WEAKER  CHURCHES. 

One  of  the  greatest  difficulties  found  in  Huron  Presbytery, 
and,  indeed,  throughout  the  Church,  has  been  in  regard  to  the 
weaker  churches  become  vacant  and  the  unemployed  ministers. 


286  HISTORY  OF  HURON  PRESBYTERY. 

It  is  yet  to  some  extent  a  serious  question  how  to  keep  the 
weaker  churches  supplied  with  the  means  of  grace  and  how  to 
keep  men  in  the  ministry  in  employment.  Often  such  churches^ 
and  some  of  them  comparatively  strong,  remain  for  weary 
months,  and  even  years,  without  pastor  or  stated  supply ;  and 
often  ministers  who  are  capable,  under  God,  of  doing  good 
work  remain  for  months  or  years  without  regular  engagement 
in  any  of  the  churches,  though  of  the  latter  there  have  not 
been  many  instances  in  this  particular  body. 

The  question  is  very  naturally  suggested,  whether  these  un- 
pleasant facts  result  from  a  weakness  in  the  Presl)yterian  system 
or  Avhether  they  result  from  a  weakness  in  the  working  of  the 
system.  It  is  more  than  probable  that  the  latter  alternative  is 
the  true  one.  At  any  rate,  it  must  be  admitted  that  sometimes, 
where  there  is  anything  seriously  unsatisfactory  in  a  presby- 
tery in  this  direction,  the  fact  is  that  the  presbytery  does  not 
have  in  operation  a  thorough  system  of  Presbyterian  govern- 
ment. The  churches  act  largely  in  independence  of  the  pres- 
bytery and  so  do  some  of  the  ministers. 

The  idea  of  government  lies  at  the  basis  of  Presbyterianism. 
But  the  idea  of  government  is  not  always  prominent  in  the 
working  of  the  presbyteries.  The  duty  of  presbytery,  if 
churches  and  ministers  are  really  under  its  care,  is  to  collocate 
and  so  arrange  the  churches  that  they  may  be  supplied  with- 
out too  great  sacrifice  of  the  ministr}'',  and  to  make  special  and 
constant  effort  to  supply  them,  and  also  to  so  direct  the  minis- 
ters that  may  be  under  its  care  that  they  will  have  employment 
so  long  as  there  are  churches  to  be  supplied. 

This,  of  course,  is  to  be  done  without  anything  like  tyranny, 
and  without  unreasonably  imposing  a  minister  upon  a  people 
where  there  is  scarcely  a  prospect  of  any  good  resulting.  Let 
the  system  be  thoroughly  in  operation,  and  while  it  will  still 
be  true  that  there  may  be  here  and  there  a  minister  unem- 
ployed and  a  church  for  a  time  without  preaching,  yet  the  fault 
wdll  be  in  the  imperfections  of  mankind  and  not  in  this  truly 


CARE  FOR    THE    WEAKER   CHURCHES.  ■  287 

Scriptural  form  of  church  government.  The  relief  hoped  for 
must  come  from  the  benign  adjustments  of  the  Presbyterian 
polity,  and  in  this  direction  our  eyes  should  be  turned  for  it. 


VARIOUS  EFFORTS  MADE. 

We  find,  in  the  course  of  this  Presbyterial  history,  that  vari- 
ous efforts  have  been  made  to  correct  this  difficulty.  In  the 
earlier  years  there  was  a  felt  want  of  properly-qualified  preach- 
ers of  the  Gospel,  without  whom  the  destitution  of  many  places 
could  not  be  supplied.  Yet  the  ministers  who  had  entered 
upon  the  work  as  missionaries  had  reached  out  and  had 
founded  churches  wherever  a  nucleus  could  be  found  to  war- 
rant it.  Some  of  these  must  be  much  of  the  time  without  stated 
preaching  unless  special  efibrts  should  be  made  to  supply  them. 
To  do  this,  the  ministers  resolved  to  do  what  the}^  could,  each 
one  supplying  such  churches  as  ability  and  time  would  permit. 
But  in  addition  to  this  they  sought,  through  a  committee,  to 
complete  such  arrangements  as  might  seem  best  and  wisest  for 
this  end.  This  was  the  action  taken  in  1839.  It  did  not  meet 
the  condition  of  things.  The  ministers  had  their  hands  full 
with  the  work  in  their  special  charges.  In  1845  the  church  of 
Attica,  through  its  elder,  Mr.  Johnson  Ford,  overtured  the 
Presbytery  to  do  something  for  them,  as  they  had  been  for 
some  time  without  the  services  of  any  minister.  There  were, 
doubtless,  other  churches  in  the  same  anxious  condition.  With 
their  hands  already  full,  the  ministers  felt  that  something  must 
be  done  for  the  weak  and  destitute.  It  seemed  to  them  at  this 
time  best  to  employ  a  presbyterial  missionary,  to  whom  should 
be  committed  the  oversight  of  such  churches.  This  they  re- 
solved to  do  if  possible.  A  committee  was  appointed  to  confer 
with  the  Missionary  Society  and  with  the  feeble  churches  with 
reference  to  the  matter.  This  proposition  and  effort  was  before 
the  Presbytery  for  some  years.  But  while  something  was  done 
as  the  result  of  it,  yet  it  was  found  difficult  to  secure  a  suitable 


288  imsTOIiY  OF  HURON  PRESBYTERY. 

man  for  such  work,  and  no  tlioroughly  satisfactory  arrange- 
ment of  the  kind  was  ever  made. 

In  1855  this  phm  was  renewed,  but  without  satisfactory 
resuhs. 

RURAL  POPULATION. 

In  April,  1865,  just  after  the  close  of  the  war,  and  when  the 
Presbytery  was  awake  through  the  special  blessing  of  God  on 
the  churches,  the  body  was  overtured  "  to  devise  some  plan  by 
which  the  rural  population  might  be  brought  under  the  influ- 
ence of  the  Gospel."  This  overture  was  placed  in  the  hands  of 
the  Home  Missionary  Committee.  This  committee,  on  the  Gth 
of  September  following,  reported  through  Rev.  J.  D.  McCord, 
recommending  that,  "  in  order  to  further  the  cause  of  Christ  in 
the  rural  districts  adjoining  our  fields  of  labor,  the  ministers  be 
requested  to  go  out  on  Sabbath  or  week-day  evenings  and  hold 
services  when  it  is  possible,  and  that  the  lay  members  of  the 
churches  be  encouraged  to  go  out  to  organize  and  conduct 
Sabbath  schools  and  such  other  services  as  may  be  held  by 
them  and  promise  good  results." 

This  was  an  overture  and  its  answer  upon  a  very  important 
subject.  A  part  of  the  population  was  not  being  reached  by 
the  Gospel  as  preached  by  Presbyterians — perhaps  many  were 
not  reached  by  any  class  of  ministers.  The  towns  and  villages 
were  the  points  of  centre  where  the  ministers  were  to  be  found, 
and  the  rural  people,  being  scattered,  many  of  them  several 
miles  from  church,  were  in  a  sense  neglected.  So  the  overture 
intimates. 

We  may,  perhaps,  judge  somewhat  as  to  the  state  of  facts 
then  from  what  we  can  see  now  in  some  quarters.  While  it  is 
true  that  there  are  churches  of  other  denominations,  mainl}^  of 
the  Arminian  type,  scattered  here  and  there  through  the  coun- 
try districts,  so  that  the  Gospel  may  be  said  to  be  within  easy 
reach  of  all,  yet  it  must  be  admitted  that  Presbyterian  ministers 
and  churches  cling  mainly  to  the  towns. 

Ministers  are  usually  located  in  town  or  village,  and  some- 


RURAL   POPULATION.  289 

how  country  people  drop  out  of  town  churches,  where  customs 
and  dress  are  somewhat  different  from  their  own  ;  and  somehow 
there  is  a  neglect  of  the  rural  population  by  the  town  or  city 
minister,  not  intentional,  but  nevertheless  real.  And  as  in  this 
region  we  have  so  few  country  churches,  we  have  comparatively 
few  country  church  members. 

Not  only  is  this  true,  but  there  are  many  intelligent  and 
respectable  people,  as  well  as  many  others,  who  are  not  reached 
by  any  ministry,  who  might  be  reached  by  the  Presbyterian 
or  its  kindred ;  just  as  in  some  of  the  larger  cities  the  sub- 
urban population  is  left  to  be  gathered  up  by  whatever  may 
happen  to  come  along,  or  not  to  be  gathered  at  all. 

The  answer  given  to  the  overture  by  the  Presbytery  evinces 
a  good  deal  of  earnest  thought  and  purpose ;  and  yet  the  fact 
is  evinced  that  the  difficulty  felt  by  the  ministers  was  not  to 
be  fully  met  by  this  recommendation,  even  if  carried  out  as 
well  as  recommendations  usually  are.  Probably  only  an 
opening  of  the  way  was  intended. 

Thirty  or  forty  years  ago  week-day  evening  and  an  occasional 
Sabbath-evening  service  went  further  than  it  would  now. 
This  will  do  for  the  help  and  comfort  of  a  few,  but  alone  it 
will  not  gather  in  and  fix  people  in  the  habit  of  church  going. 
There  must  be  something  that  will  give  them  a  permanent 
interest.  Genuine  Christian  association  is  wanted,  in  visits  or 
calls  of  ministers  and  of  church  people.  The  work  of  the  church 
and  the  ministry,  along  with  the  preaching,  is  to  assimilate,  to 
create  the  feeling  of  interest  and  of  oneness. 

The  rural  or  the  suburban  population  will  not  be  reached  while 
the  minister  and  his  people  cluster  closely  about  the  church  in 
town  or  city,  and  fail  to  mingle  with  those  whom  they  think 
they  ought  to  bring  to  the  Lord. 

It  may  be  one  of  the  faults  of  tlie  times  that  so  much  is  now 
expected  of  the  minister  in  the  way  of  sermonizing  that  no 
man  in  a  strong  parish  has  the  spare  hour  for  the  kind  of 
work  here  suggested,  so  that  while  multitudes  of  the  country 
people  are  the  noblest,  truest  of  our  land,  and  while  they  are 
19 


290  HISTORY  OF  HURON  PRESBYTERY. 

largely  the  hope  of  the  Church  and  of  the  nation,  and  while 
some  of  them  are  interested  in  the  town  or  city  clmrch,  and 
feel  at  home  and  happy  in  their  church  relation,  and  are  likely 
to  continue  as  enjoyers  and  helpers  of  the  church  work,  yet 
the  process  of  increasing  this  class  is  not  so  rapid  as  might  be 
wished. 

The  ministry  and  the  Gospel  must  be  taken  to  them  to  be 
planted  and  living  among  them.  To  this  end  the  latter  part 
of  the  Presbytery's  recommendation  is  especially  worthy  of  con- 
sideration, as  it  embodies  a  principle  which  is  much  thought  of  in 
these  latter  days — that  of  religious  services  conducted  by  the  laity. 

The  recommendation  does  not  mention  "  lay  preaching," 
but  it  looks,  nevertheless,  in  this  direction.  The  necessity  for 
something  of  this  kind  was  felt  in  Huron  Presbytery,  and  it 
was  suggested  even  before  it  began  to  be  talked  of  so  much  in 
the  Church  at  large.  There  was  the  need,  and  there  were  then, 
as  there  are  now,  thinking,  intelligent  men  of  lively  Christian 
character,  who  might  go  out,  and,  by  instruction  and  exhorta- 
tion, might  do  a  good  work.  They  could  not  only  organize 
and  conduct  Sabbath  schools,  they  could  conduct  other  services. 
There  is  such  work  all  over  our  land,  and  even  yet  in  the 
bounds  of  Huron  Presbytery,  as  there  was  in  1865,  for  earnest 
laymen. 

The  suggestion,  modest  as  it  is,  was  a  little  in  advance  of  the 
thought  of  the  Presbyterian  Church.  No  other  Church  is  more 
cautious  not  to  degrade  the  ministry  by  sending  out  unlearned 
and  ignorant  men,  especially  with  endorsement  as  authorized 
preachers.  It  is  a  serious  question  as  to  how  fixr  we  dare  go  in 
the  way  of  taking  up  laymen,  and,  with  a  short  preparation, 
giving  them  license  to  preach.  And  yet  the  times  have  been 
seeming  to  demand,  and  more  so  now  than  ever  before,  some 
yielding  of  old  views  and  customs  in  this  direction. 

We  are  to  remember  that  the 'ministerial  office  cannot  be 
degraded  without  sad  results,  and  also  that  an  intelligent  rural 
people  will  not  be  satisfied  with  disconnected  harangue.  Yet 
the  neglected  corners  in  city  and  country  are  waiting  for  the 


ACTION  OF  1873.  291 

work  that  may  be  done  by  men  who  have  not  run  the  full 
college  or  seminary  curriculum.  Pastors  might  sometimes  do 
more  than  they  do,  by  going  out,  as  was  much  done  in  the 
earlier  history  of  this  and  of  other  presbyteries,  to  do  service 
in  the  waste  places,  and  they  might  make  larger  use  of  their 
active  and  intelligent  church  membership.  But  even  this  as 
a  merely  occasional  thing  will  not  suffice.  Some  men  who 
have  not  had  the  full  preparation  of  college  or  seminary  must 
be  authorized  in  some  way,  under  proper  presbyterial  super- 
vision, to  make  it  their  business  to  conduct  religious  services 
from  week  to  week  in  such  places  as  may  need  and  may  be 
open  to  them.  The  feeling  expressed  in  the  foregoing  paper 
widens  and  deepens,  and,  as  we  all  so  well  know,  it  finds 
expression  and  approval  now  in  some  of  our  higher  church 
courts. 

ACTION  OF  1873. 

In  the  midst  of  the  revival  interest  of  1873,  the  care  of  the 
feeble  churches  again  awakens  concern.  The  subject  had  been 
for  several  years  before  the  Presbytery,  and  ministers  and 
elders  felt  that  some  special  effort  should  be  made  to  have 
every  church  supplied  with  the  means  of  grace.  The  follow- 
ing paper  was  presented  by  a  member  of  the  body,  and  after 
considerable  discussion  was  unanimously  adopted  : — 

"Whereas,  Some  of  the  weaker  churches  in  our  Presbytery, 
being  without  a  stated  ministry,  and  being  unable  to  secure 
such  means  of  grace,  are  in  a  discouraged  condition  ;  and 

"  Whereas,  Other  churches,  with  strength  enough  to  support 
a  stated  ministry,  do  remain  for  a  length  of  time  without  such 
ministry,  lose  ground  previously  gained,  and  are  conducted 
for  the  most  part  independently  of  Presbytery :  therefore 

"Resolved:  First.  That  as  a  Presbytery  we  will  exercise  the 
duty  and  the  right  to  the  oversight  of  all  such  churches  ;  and 
that  at  each  stated  meeting  of  Presbytery  we  will  appoint  from 
the  list  of  pastors,  stated  supplies,  and  W.  C.'s  supplies  for  each 
vacant  church  within  our  bounds,  filling  at  least  one-fourth  of 


292  HISTORY  OF  HURON  PRESBYTERY. 

the  Sabbaths  intervening  from  Presbytery  to  Presbytery,  or 
until  a  stated  ministry  be  by  any  church  secured. 

"  Second.  That  such  churches  thus  supplied  are  expected  to 
pay  the  expenses  of  these  supplies  in  all  cases,  and  ten  dollars 
additional  where  the  congregation  is  able  to  support  a  pastor. 

"  Third.  That,  in  order  to  carry  into  execution  the  above 
resolutions,  the  Presbyterial  Committee  on  Home  Missions 
shall  be  also  a  committee  on  supplies,  whose  duty  it  shall  be  to 
report  at  each  regular  meeting  of  Presbytery  upon  all  vacan- 
cies, and  to  name  supplies,  and  the  time  when  they  shall  supply 
each  vacancy,  subject  to  the  action  of  Presbytery. 

"  Fourth.  That  any  church,  desiring  to  find  their  own  sup- 
plies may  do  so  by  making  this  desire  known  to  the  Presbytery 
or  to  the  above-named  committee." 

This  paper  and  these  resolutions  had  the  apparent  hearty 
approval  of  the  body.  But  their  efficacy  to  meet  the  prevail- 
ing difficulty  was  never  manifest. 

It  must  be  admitted,  however,  that  the  plan  was  never  more 
than  partially  tested.  Ministers  were  slow  to  leave  their  own 
pulpits,  and  failed  to  enter  heartily  into  the  idea  of  the  resolu- 
tions ;  and  the  vacant  churches  did  not  enter  into  it  fully,  and 
when  supplies  did  visit  them  they  sometimes  forgot  to  pay 
even  the  necessary  expenses  of  the  visit. 

In  this  state  of  the  case  the  committee  could  not  do  much, 
and  naturally  the  plan — a  plan  in  successful  operation  in  some 
other  presbyteries — failed. 

To  one  who  has,  with  interest,  looked  upon  the  feeble 
churches  it  must  appear  that  these  churches  have  often  failed 
to  help  themselves  as  well  as  they  might  have  done ;  and,  on 
the  other  hand,  they  have  not  always  had  that  fostering  care 
which  the  Presbytery  might  have  exercised  over  them,  and 
between  the  two  failures  several  of  them  have  well-nigh 
perished. 


ACTION  OF  1886.  293 

VISITATION  OF  THE  CHURCHES. 

Several  times  in  the  history  of  the  Presbytery  the  plan  of 
church  visitation  had  been  adopted,  both  to  help  the  feeble, 
and  to  revive  the  cold  or  lukewarm.  This  plan  was  adopted 
in  1843 ;  and  in  1874,  as  also  both  before  and  since  that  time, 
it  was  again  resorted  to. 

In  this  year  it  was  decided  that  each  church  should  be 
visited  by  two  ministers  and  two  laymen,  who  were  to  hold 
special  services,  seeking  to  awaken  the  members  and  also  to 
reach  the  impenitent.  The  purpose  was  carried  out  in  most 
of  the  churches,  and  no  doubt  with  good  results.  Feeble 
churches,  as  a  rule,  appreciate  such  special  efforts  made  in  their 
interest,  and  they  are  hardly  ever  faithfully  made  without  some 
good  being  accomplished.  This,  however,  could  only  be  a  tempo- 
rary help.  The  thing  desirable  is  the  constant  ministration  of 
the  jiastor  or  the  stated  supply. 


ACTION  OP  1886. 

This  difficulty  of  all  the  former  years,  to  keep  the  churches 
supplied  with  preaching,  had  not  yet  ceased  to  be  felt.  A  chief 
trouble  was  the  location  and  circumstances  of  several  of  the 
churches.  They  were  so  situated  that  there  seemed  to  be  no 
others  with  which  they  could  unite  in  the  support  of  a  minister. 
Such  was  the  case  especiall}^  with  Republic,  McCutchensville, 
and  Green  Spring.  To  all  appearance  this  difficulty  must 
continue,  with  the  prospect  of  death  to  these  churches  unless 
Bloomvilleand  Melmore  churches  which  had  a  natural  affinity, 
and  which  had  for  some  years  been  united,  and  which  were 
both  comparatively  strong,  could  be  separated,  the  former  in- 
duced to  unite  with  Republic,  and  the  latter  to  unite  with  Mc- 
Cutchensville, while  Green  Spring  might  be  united  with  Clyde. 
This  arrangement  of  these  churches  had,  several  years  before, 
been  advised  and  urged,  but  without  satisfactory  results.  The 
ministry  had  long  felt  anxious  for  it.     It  was  finally  decided 


294  HISTORY  OF  HURON  PRESBYTERY. 

by  the  Presbytery,  in  188G,  to  use  their  utmost  endeavor  to 
bring  it  about.  It  was  made  the  subject  of  a  resolution  that 
the  above-named  churches  be  grouped  as  follows :  Bloomville 
and  Republic  into  one  charge,  Melmore  and  McCutchensville 
into  one  charge,  and  Clyde  and  Green  Spring  into  another. 
Then  it  was  resolved  that  the  Home  Missionary  Committee  be 
instructed  to  aid  them  in  getting  supplies,  and  to  endorse 
applications  for  aid,  when  necessary,  to  the  Board  of  Home 
Missions,  that  these  several  charges  might  have  the  stated 
means  of  grace.  Other  committees  were  afterward  appointed 
to  aid  in  carrying  out  this  earnest  desire  and  hope  of  tlie  Pres- 
bytery. The  churches  acceded  to  the  proposition.  In  a  short 
time  Bloomville  and  Republic  were  supplied. 

Rev.  M.  DeWitt  Long  was  received  on  the  27th  of  December 
from  the  Presbytery  of  Bellefontaine.  He  was  already  entered 
upon  his  work  as  pastor  elect  of  that  field.  These  churches 
have  moved  on  pleasantly  and  prosperously  since  the  new 
arrangement.  Especially  has  Bloomville,  with  a  delightsome 
new  house  of  worship,  settled  down  into  a  condition  that  is  full 
of  encouragement.  Mr.  Long  more  than  a  year  ago  retired 
from  this  field.  But  the  churches  have  not  remained  long 
without  preaching,  and  they  are  abundantl}'  able  to  support  a 
new  pastor  when  they  shall  have  found  the  right  man. 

The  field  composed  of  the  churches  of  Melmore  and 
McCutchensville  was  for  a  considerable  time  under  discourage- 
ment and  doubt.  But  in  March,  1888,  they  succeeded  in  secur- 
ing the  services  of  Rev.  William  Smith,  who  came  from  Hills- 
boro,  Ohio,  where  he  had  been  serving  the  Reformed  Church, 
in  which  bod}^  he  was  a  minister.  He  was  received  into  the 
Presbytery  a  few  weeks  later,  and  having  accepted  the  call  of 
these  churches,  he  was  installed  as  their  pastor  on  the  26th  of 
April,  installation  services  being  held  at  both  places. 

The  first  year  of  this  pastorate  was  blessed  with  success. 
Both  of  the  churches  grew.  That  of  McCutchensville  more 
than  doubled  her  membership,  while  a  number  were  added  to 
the  other.     Mr.  Smith  continued  his  labors  here  till  the  spring 


TEMPERANCE.  295 

of  1892,  with  more  or  less  of  success.  He  then  resigned,  and 
the  churches  are  now  looking  for  another  to  take  his  place. 

On  the  first  of  Ma}",  1888,  Rev.  David  Street  took  charge 
of  the  other  field,  composed  of  Clyde  and  Green  Spring,  coming 
from  the  Presbytery  of  Portsmouth.  He  remained  for  about 
sixteen  months ;  since  which  time  these  churches  have  been 
variously  supplied.  They  have,  however,  been,  in  the  main, 
independent  of  each  other,  and  are  now  both  supplied  with 
preaching,  both  having  good  houses  of  worship,  and  each  able 
to  support  its  own  jjastor  or  supply. 

The  churches  of  Elmore  and  Genoa  have  required  some 
special  attention.  They  ran  separately  for  a  time,  but  came 
together  in  the  spring  of  1889  under  the  ministry  of  Rev. 
Wm.  H.  Day.  They  are  now  under  the  pastoral  care  of  Rev. 
C.  K.  Smoyer,  who  had  served  them  in  other  years ;  and  there 
is  no  reason  why  these  churches,  with  others  in  the  Presbytery 
that  are  not  strong  in  numbers  or  in  wealth,  should  not  con- 
tinue to  have  the  stated  means  of  grace  through  an  acceptable 
minister,  save  the  weakness  of  imperfectly  sanctified  humanity, 
and  the  want  of  an  abundant  supply  of  such  ministers.  More 
such  men  are  wanted.  But  if  the  churches  prove  faithful  they 
will  be  encouraged. 


VII.    TEMPERANCE. 

In  the  earlier  years  of  this  body  high  ground  was  taken  on 
the  subject  of  temperance.  In  the  history  of  Huron  County 
the  statement  is  made  that  in  1826  or  1827  several  ministers 
were  in  the  habit  of  going  to  a  certain  distillery  to  have  their 
bottles  filled,  and  that  the  distiller  paid  his  share  of  the  sup- 
port of  a  minister  of  the  Presbytery  in  liquor,  giving  him  fifteen 
gallons  from  his  still.  This  may  have  been  true  without  the 
ministers  being  habitual  drinkers ;  and,  if  true,  it  must  have 
been  so  without  their  trespassing  the  views  of  propriety  preva- 
lent at  that  day.  The  Presbytery  does  not  appear  to  have  had 
any  trouble  with  drinking  members.     On  the  other  hand  we 


296  HISTORY  OF  HURON  PRESBYTERY. 

find,  as  early  as  1828,  that  the  views  of  the  body  were  fully 
abreast  of  the  times  on  this  subject.  They  fully  accord  with 
the  action  of  the  General  Assembly  regarding  the  evils  of  intem- 
perance, appoint  a  day  of  fasting  and  prayer  with  special  refer- 
ence to  this  sin,  and  recommend  that  the  members  of  the 
churches  make  no  use  of  ardent  spirits  except  when  prescribed 
by  a  judicious  and  temperate  physician. 

One  of  the  evils  most  frequently  referred  to  and  deeply 
lamented,  as  seen  in  the  communities,  has  been  the  sin  of 
intemperance. 

In  1841  a  widening  and  deepening  interest  upon  the  subject 
is  manifest.  The  real  temperance  awakening  in  our  land  was 
then  yet  in  its  incipiency.  But  the  Presbytery  was  with  it ;  and 
their  words  show  that  it  was  not  a  mere  excitement  with  them. 
They  thought  upon  the  evils  and  aimed  to  get  at  the  truth. 
At  the  April  meeting,  1841,  an  overture  was  presented  by  some 
one,  which  was  referred  to  a  committee  consisting  of  Messrs. 
Loss,  Conger,  and  Stuart.  The  paper  reported  by  this  com- 
mittee and  adopted  by  the  Presbytery  is  so  seasoned  with 
thought  that  it  deserves  to  be  preserved.  It  was  ordered  at  the 
time  to  be  published.     It  begins  with  the  overture : — 

^'Resolved,  That  the  cause  of  temperance  calls  for  the  renewed 
efforts  of  the  friends  of  religion  and  the  country ;  and  especially 
calls  upon  them  to  spread  throughout  the  community  the 
genuine  teachings  of  Divine  Revelation  on  this  subject." 

Then  the  committee  proceed  to  say : — 

"  This  overture  contains  two  distinct  propositions : — 

"  1st.  That  the  friends  of  religion  and  the  country  are  called 
upon  to  renew  their  efforts  to  promote  the  cause  of  temperance ; 
and  second,  that  the}^  should  spread  through  the  community 
the  teachings  of  Divine  Revelation  on  this  subject. 

"  To  carry  out  the  latter  will,  in  the  view  of  the  committee,  be 
the  most  effective  method  of  promoting  the  object  of  the  former. 
As  the  question  in  relation  to  distilled  spirits  has  long  been 
settled,  and  their  use  interdicted  by  the  united  judgment  of 
temperance  men,  it  is  not  deemed  necessary  to  occupy  any  time 


TEMPERANCE.  297 

on  this  part  of  the  subject.  All  knowledge  of  distilled  spirits  is 
subsequent  to  the  period  of  Bible  history.  The  drunkenness 
of  which  the  Scriptures  speak  was  the  product  of  fermented  and 
narcotic  beverages.  There  has  been  uncertainty  in  relation  to 
the  genuine  teachings  of  the  Bible  on  this  matter.  But  recent 
investigations,  it  is  now  generally  admitted,  have  completed  the 
Scriptural  argument,  and  established  the  fact  that  the  Bible 
requires  entire  abstinence  from  all  intoxicating  beverages.  It  is 
true  that  wine  is  spoken  of  in  some  places  in  the  Scriptures 
with  approbation.  At  other  times  it  is  reprobated  in  most 
unqualified  terms.  These  facts  must  appear  obvious  to  every 
one  who  has  any  acquaintance  with  the  Bible. 

"  Now  the  wine,  which  at  one  time  is  spoken  of  as  a  blessing, 
cannot  be  supposed  to  be  the  same  in  kind  with  that  which  in 
another  place  is  described  as  a  mocker.  The  difference  is  not 
in  the  intemperate  use.  The  nature  of  the  words  renders  such  an 
interpretation  unsatisfactory  and  inconclusive.  (See  Grindrod's 
Essays).  The  one  kind  is  spoken  of  as  the  means  of  drunken- 
ness ;  the  other  as  an  article  of  healthful  diet.  The  evidence  of 
this  difference  has  been  collected,  and  is  embraced  in  the  two 
essays  recently  published  in  this  country  under  the  titles  of 
*  Bacchus  and  Anti-Bacchus.'  This  evidence  is  cumulatively 
abundant.  That  which  was  spoken  of  by  the  Hebrews  as  an 
article  of  diet,  and  is  spoken  of  with  approbation  in  the  Scrip- 
tures, is  generally  denominated  '  the  fruit  of  the  vine,' '  new 
wine,'  and  '  must.'  These  were  prepared  in  various  forms,  to 
be  preserved  for  years  without  fermentation.  They  were  wholly 
destitute  of  intoxicating  properties.  Such  was  in  ancient  times, 
and  is  now,  the  character  of  most  of  the  wines  made  in  Pales- 
tine. 

"  There  was  another  kind  of  wine  among  the  Hebrews  which 
they  denominated '  the  poison  of  dragons,'  and  '  the  cruel  venom 
of  asps.'  This  was  the  species  of  wine  which  contained  alcoholic 
and  narcotic  properties.  This  is  throughout  the  Bible  con- 
demned and  prohibited,  because  it  produces  drunkenness  and 
the  ruin  of  souls. 


298  HISTORY  OF  HURON  PRESBYTERY. 

"  The  wine  which  God  required  to  be  offered  to  Him  in  obla- 
tions was  the  article  of  diet,  of  a  pure  and  wholesome  charac- 
ter. Many  things  in  the  Scriptures  corroborate  this  view. 
The  priests  of  the  Lord  were  prohibited  the  use  of  wine ;  so 
with  kings  and  princes.  The  Nazarites,  who  were  especially 
dedicated  to  God,  were,  in  their  vow  of  separation,  prohibited 
the  use  of  wine  or  strong  drink,  and  were  most  highly  com- 
mended when  they  adhered  to  their  vow.  That  vow  was  a 
*  Teetotal  Pledge.'  For  living  up  to  it  the  Rechabites  were 
commended  and  assured  that  they  should  not  want  a  man  to 
stand  before  God  forever. 

"  These  views  accord  with  physiological  laws.  These  laws 
utterly  forbid  the  use  of  intoxicating  drinks  as  a  luxury,  be- 
cause alcohol  can  in  no  degree  be  assimilated  with  the  blood 
when  taken  into  the  system.  Such  is  the  judgment  of  writers 
on  '  materia  medica.'  Professor  Stuart  says :  *  No  species  of 
liquor  wliich  intoxicates  can  be  used  habitually  without  great 
danger  of  forming  an  excessive  attachment  to  it,  of  forming  a 
habit  which  may  be  fatal.  It  follows,  since  no  intoxicating 
liquors  can  be  taken  either  habitually  or  frequently  without 
danger,  that  it  is  contrary  to  the  true  spirit  of  the  Bible  and  to 
the  laws  of  our  physical  and  intellectual  nature  to  indulge  in 
wine  or  any  other  liquor  which  can  inebriate.' 

"  The  exhortations  of  the  Scriptures  embody  general  principles 
which  sustain  the  same,  such  as  the  following : — 

"  The  Bible  forbids  such  unnecessary  and  luxurious  food  and 
drink  as  would  tend  to  lead  men  to  neglect  the  concern  of 
their  souls.  It  enjoins  great  caution  lest  the  affections  be  en- 
snared by  improper  indulgence.  It  forbids  the  indulgence  of 
those  lusts  which  war  against  the  soul.  And  such  is  indubita- 
bly that  relish  which  men  have  for  fermented  beverages. 

"  It  prohibits  all  causes  to  sin  and  inducements  to  it.  The 
lives  of  Christians  are  required  to  be  such  as  to  be  proper  ex- 
amples of  temperance  as  an  essential  part  of  piety.  It  enjoins 
watchfulness  and  sobriety,  such  as  will  preserve  both  the  mind 
and  the  body  in  a  state  which  will  not  disqualify  the  creature 


TEMPERANCE.  299 

at  any  moment  to  enter  into  the  presence  of  his  final  Judge. 
These  general  principles  of  the  Bible  most  obviously  embody 
the  prohibition  to  indulge  in  the  use  of  any  inebriating  drinks. 
The  evidence  of  this  is  satisfactory  to  any  one  who  will  take 
the  trouble  to  examine  patiently  the  general  teachings  •  of 
Divine  Revelation  on  this  subject ;  and  the  committee  are  of 
the  opinion  that  the  most  effective  means  which  can  now  be 
employed  to  further  the  cause  of  temperance  is  to  diffuse  every- 
where true  and  correct  Bible  instruction  relative  to  this  cause." 

Such  was  the  paper  adopted  by  Huron  Presbytery  in  1841, 
showing  them  to  be  awake  regarding  this  immense  subject 
which  so  agitates  the  world  to  day,  and  which  can  give  no  rest 
from  conflict  until  the  hand  of  the  greatest  destroyer  of  men, 
of  nations,  and  of  homes  shall  have  been  stayed  by  the  might 
of  right  and  justice  and  mercy. 

These  men  believed  in  educating,  in  giving  the  fullest  and 
best  information  regarding  the  dangers  of  the  cup.  They 
would  have  added  to  the  proposition  and  effort  of  the  present 
time  to  teach  the  physiological  effects  of  strong  drink  to  the  youth 
in  our  schools  the  teachings  of  the  Word  of  God  on  the  same 
subject  and  in  the  same  schools.  They  no  doubt  thought  that 
more  could  be  done  by  instruction  and  "  moral  suasion  "  than 
has  been  accomplished  by  such  means.  This  was  then  the 
greatest  hope  of  God's  dear  people. 

As  to  the  fundamental  principles  of  temperance,  they  were 
surely  right.  They  saw  that  the  only  safety  was  in  total  ab- 
stinence, and  they  believed  this  to  be  the  Bible  doctrine. 

They  may  not  have  been  entirely  correct  in  every  statement 
made  in  their  paper.  In  principle  throughout  they  were  surely 
right.  If  some  good  men  in  this  later  day  think  that  the  free 
use  of  fermented  wine  was  commended  in  the  Bible,  they  ought 
to  think  long  and  well  before  adopting  its  use  even  at  the  sacra- 
mental table.  If  men  think,  as  good  men  seem  to  do,  that  our 
Lord  made  an  intoxicating  drink,  and  that  the  fermented  fruit 
of  the  vine  was  used  at  the  institution  of  the  Supper,  let  them 
but  ask,  How  could  that  be  so  consistently  with  the  clear  re- 


300  HIHTORY  OF  HURON  PRESBYTERY. 

quirement  of  Scripture  regarding  tlie  Passover  ?  Ferment  was 
impurity,  unholiness.  It  was  not  allowed  in  the  bread  used. 
The  very  homes  were  to  be  searched  that  none  be  in  them. 
The  bread  must  be  unleavened,  though  the  ferment  could  not 
intoxicate.  Could,  then,  our  Lord  have  used  fermented  wine 
on  that  solemn  occasion?  We  prefer  to  adopt  the  general 
principles  embodied  in  the  foregoing  paper,  and  to  see  a  beau- 
tiful consistency  in  the  acts  of  Jesus  and  in  His  teachings,  and 
in  all  the  Word  of  God  pertaining  to  this  great  subject. 


THE  CRUSADE. 

The  year  1874  was  the  year  of  the  great  temperance  move- 
ment which  prevailed  through  a  large  portion  of  Ohio,  and 
was  familiarly  known  as  "  The  Crusade."  It  was  conducted 
mainly  by  the  Christian  women.  It  was  a  movement  of 
intense  interest,  showing  how  earnestly  the  good  women  desired 
to  rid  their  communities  and  the  State  of  the  saloon  abomina- 
tion. They  would  hold  prayer  meetings  in  the  churches  and 
elsewhere,  seeking  God's  help.  They  would  persuade  men, 
young  and  old,  not  to  drink.  Not  stopping  with  this,  they  would 
go  to  the  saloons  to  talk  with  the  seller  of  drinks ;  and,  taking 
their  Bibles  with  them,  going  in  companies,  they  would  read 
from  the  Sacred  Word,  and,  kneeling  down  on  the  floor  of  the 
saloon,  would  pour  forth  their  earnest,  tearful  prayers  to  God 
for  the  saloonist  and  for  the  drinker.  Not  stopping  even  with 
this,  they  would  divide  their  larger  compan}''  into  smaller  ones 
of  two  or  three,  and,  taking  their  places  in  front  of  the  saloons, 
would  remain  there  for  hours,  to  ward  off  the  men  who  would 
enter  such  places  for  drink,  praying  to  God  in  the  streets.  The 
effect  of  these  doings  was  in  some  instances  marvelous.  Strong 
men,  on  the  streets,  were  often  moved  to  tears.  And  only  the 
most  daring  would  venture,  in  the  presence  of  these  women, 
to  enter  a  saloon. 

The  movement  at  least  produced  a  great  deal  of  excitement. 
Many  of  its  most  visible  effects  were  but  temporary ;  yet  it 


''THE  SECOND  AMENDMENT.''  301 

is  known  that  some  men  were  induced  permanently  to  abandon 
the  business,  and  some  drinkers  were  led  to  give  up  their  cups, 
some  becoming  Christians. 

As  a  means  of  agitation  and  of  bringing  before  the  minds 
of  men  the  curse  of  strong  drink  it  was  successful.  Ministers 
of  the  Gospel  took  a  deep  interest  in  it.  Meetings  were  held 
by  many  of  them  in  their  churches,  and  the  feeling  largely 
prevailed  that  God  was  in  it.  The  ministers  and  churches  of 
Huron  Presbytery  gave  it  their  sympathy  and  their  prayers. 
There  may  have  been  at  the  time  occasional  misgiving  as  to 
the  perfect  propriety  of  all  that  was  done  by  the  good  women. 
Some  of  the  women  may  have  felt  the  same  misgiving  them- 
selves; and  many  of  them  now,  since  the  agitation  has 
subsided,  may  feel  that  they  would  not  wish  to  be  so  engaged 
again.  Yet  at  the  time,  so  dreadful  is  the  curse  of  drink,  so 
fearful  the  work  of  the  saloon,  and  so  desirous  are  good  men 
and  women  to  see  the  whole  business  wiped  out,  that  they 
were  not  disposed  to  be  closely  critical.  The  object  in  view 
was  the  very  best,  Divine  help  and  guidance  were  sought,  and 
the  trust  prevailed  that  God  was  in  the  movement  and  would 
use  it  to  bring  about  some  grand  results.  So  thinking  and 
feeling,  the  ministers  and  elders  of  the  Presbytery,  when 
together,  adopted  a  paper  in  which  they  expressed  their  heart- 
felt sympathy  with  the  Christian  women  in  their  great  under- 
taking and  work.  This  movement  was  but  the  beginning  of 
a  Woman's  Work  which  is  lasting  and  will  yet  prove  mighty 
for  good. 

"THE  SECOND  AMENDMENT." 

During  the  summer  of  1883  the  people  of  Ohio  were  some- 
what agitated  over  what  was  known  as  the  proposed  "  Second 
Amendment"  to  the  State  Constitution. 

The  object  of  this  a,mendment  was  the  prohibition  of  the 
liquor  traffic  throughout  the  State.  Upon  this  measure  the 
Presbytery  was  ready  to  speak  and  to  act. 

At  the  meeting  of  the  body  on  the  12th  of  September,  a  few 


302  HISTORY  OF  HURON  PRESBYTERY. 

weeks  before  the  question  of  the  proposed  amendment  was  to 
be  decided  by  ballot,  an  hour  was  given  to  the  discussion  of  it. 
A  paper  was  read  by  Elder  J.  R.  Davies,  of  Sandusky.  This 
paper  was  followed  by  remarks  from  other  members.  After 
some  earnest  expressions  regarding  the  subject,  the  Presbytery 
put  itself  upon  record  in  another  paper  offered  by  Rev.  C.  E. 
Barnes,  and  unanimously  adopted.  The  record  is  as  follows: — 

"  Whereas,  We  recognize  the  traffic  in  intoxicating  liquors 
as  one  of  the  greatest  obstacles  in  the  way  of  God's  kingdom 
and  the  chief  enemy  to  the  peace  and  prosperity  of  our  State ; 
and 

"  Whereas,  Our  General  Assembly  has  pronounced  in  favor 
of  the  utter  extermination  of  the  traffic  in  intoxicating  liquors 
as  a  beverage,  by  the  power  of  Christian  conscience,  public 
opinion,  and  the  strong  arm  of  the  law ;  and 

"  Whereas,  The  Legislature  of  Ohio  has  submitted  to  the 
vote  of  the  people  an  amendment  to  the  Constitution,  which 
l^roposes  the  utter  prohibition  of  the  traffic  for  purposes  of 
beverage;  therefore 

"Resolved,  That  in  the  judgment  of  this  Presbytery  it  is  the 
duty  of  the  members,  and  of  the  members  of  the  various 
churches,  to  use  every  honorable  means  to  secure  the  adoption 
of  the  said  amendment ; 

"  Resolved,  That  we  appreciate  the  work  of  the  Woman's 
Christian  Temperance  Union  in  the  cause  of  temperance  and 
humanity,  and  co-operate  with  them  in  their  efforts  to  save  the 
homes  of  the  land." 

It  will  be  seen  that  the  united  voice  of  this  Presbytery  is  for 
the  absolute  destruction  of  the  traffic  in  intoxicating  drinks. 
To  a  man  they  are,  in  spirit,  for  prohibition.  There  are  a 
minority  of  this  body  who  carry  this  sentiment  with  them  in 
the  exercise  of  their  right  of  political  suffrage.  To  this  point 
the  majority  are  as  yet  slow  to  come.  They,  however,  with  few 
exceptions,  agree  with  the  sentiment  expressed  by  the  General 
Assembly  of  1892 — "  that  no  political  party  has  the  right  to 
expect  the  support  of   Christian  men  so  long  as  that  party 


THE  SABBATH.  303 

stands  committed  to  the  license  policy  or  refuses  to  put  itself 
on  record  against  the  saloon."  A  member  of  the  Huron  Pres- 
bytery, Rev.  D.  D.  Bigger,  d.d.,  was  chairman  of  the  Temper- 
ance Committee  in  the  Assembly  in  whose  report  these  clear 
words  are  found,  and  in  view  of  the  outspoken  views  of  this 
body  it  is  safe  to  say  that  the  prohibition  idea  of  preachers  and 
elders,  with  scarcely  an  exception,  is  such  that  they  would  be 
willing  to  stand  by  the  Assembly's  declaration.  This  is  doubt- 
less their  spirit,  even  though  to  a  man  they  may  not  carry  such 
conviction  to  the  ballot-box. 


Vm.   THE  SABBATH. 

Closely  allied  to  the  sin  of  intemperance  is  that  of  Sabbath 
desecration,  and  in  reading  the  presbyterial  records  one  must 
often  notice  the  lamentation  over  the  extent  of  this  evil.  The 
churches  are  again  and  again  admonished  to  be  on  guard  con- 
cerning it.  The  Presbytery  has  always  maintained  a  high 
standard  regarding  the  sanctity  of  God's  holy  day,  and  has 
sought  to  cultivate  the  true  view  of  it  in  the  minds  of  the 
people.  In  the  covenant  for  use  in  the  churches,  applicants 
for  membership  were  required  to  promise  "  to  remember  the 
Sabbath  day  to  keep  it  holy."  And  in  the  "  Articles  for  Prac- 
tice," the  seventh  one  declares,  "  This  Church  consider  the  col- 
lecting of  hay  or  grain  on  the  Sabbath,  attending  to  any  part 
of  the  business  of  making  sugar,  the  visiting  of  friends,  except 
in  cases  of  sickness,  and  the  prosecution  of  journeys  on  that 
day,  without  special  necessity,  a  violation  of  Christian  duty." 

COMMEND  THE  POSTAL  DEPARTMENT. 

The  Postmaster  General  of  the  United  States  had  issued 
orders  in  1841  to  the  postmasters  on  certain  routes  not  to 
deliver  any  mails  on  the  Sabbath.  The  Presbytery  declared 
that  they  viewed  the  order  with  great  satisflxction,  and  hoped 
that  it  would  be  made  general.     They  saw  no  good  reason  why 


304  HISTORY  OF  HURON  PRESBYTERY. 

the  public  servants  of  the  country  should  be  required  to  labor 
in  violation  of  God's  commandments,  or  why  all  men  might 
not  rest  on  the  holy  Sabbath  without  receiving  their  mails  or 
requiring  their  delivery.  They  were  made  glad  by  any  indi- 
cation of  a  disposition  to  regard  the  right  in  high  places  or  in 
low.  They  hoped  that  one  good  step  might  lead  to  another. 
They  resolved  that  they  would  sustain  by  their  prayers  and  by 
their  influence  "  the  Department "  if  it  should  order  the  post- 
masters generally  not  to  receive  or  to  deliver  any  mails  on  the 
Sabbath.  They  directed  a  copy  of  their  resolutions  to  be  sent 
to  the  Postmaster  General. 


OVERTUEING  THE  SYNOD. 

As  the  years  roll  on  toward  the  present  rushing,  stirring, 
money-making,  pleasure-seeking  times.  Sabbath  desecration 
seems  to  be  on  the  increase  in  every  direction,  in  high  places, 
and  among  all  classes,  and  it  becomes  more  and  more  a  sub- 
ject of  grave  concern.  In  the  Presbytery  the  narratives  from 
the  various  churches  frequently  note  this  fact  with  grief,  and  it 
has  occasionally  been  made  the  subject  of  earnest  discussion. 
This  was  the  case  on  the  15th  of  December,  1886.  After  the 
discussion  at  that  time  a  committee  was  appointed,  consisting  of 
Rev.  W.  T.  Hart,  Rev.  J.  M.  Seymour,  and  Elder  W.  F.  Con- 
verse, of  Sandusky,  to  report  at  the  next  meeting  on  "  the  ways 
and  means  of  securing  a  better  observance  of  our  Sunday 
laws."  This  committee  did  not  make  their  report  until  the  14th 
of  September,  1887.  In  doing  so  at  that  time,  they  offered  a 
recommendation  "  that  the  Synod  of  Ohio  be  overtured  to  take 
steps  to  secure,  if  possible,  the  co-operation  of  other  ecclesiasti- 
cal bodies  in  the  State  in  an  effort  to  have  our  Sunday  laws 
improved  and  to  enforce  them." 

Pending  the  adoption  of  this  recommendation,  three  carefully- 
prepared  and  interesting  addresses  were  delivered  by  the  mem- 
bers of  the  committee,  Mr.  Curran,  of  Sandusky,  taking  the 
place  of  Mr.  Converse.     Rev.  Mr.  Hart  spoke  upon  "  The  Need 


REVISING    THE  CONFESSION.  305 

of  Reform ;"  Rev.  Mr.  Seymour,  on  "  The  Duty  of  Christians  in 
the  Matter,"  and  Mr.  U.  T.  Curran,  a  lawyer,  on  "  The  Legal 
Aspects  of  the  Subject." 

On  conclusion  of  the  addresses  the  recommendation  was 
heartily  adopted.  The  Presbytery  of  Huron  had  previously,  in 
1879,  sent  an  exactly  similar  overture  to  the  Synod  of  Toledo. 
The  feeling  evidently  prevails  that  we  must  secure  a  better 
observance  of  God's  holy  day  as  a  preliminary  step  to  the  more 
rapid  advance  of  the  Church  in  saving  the  land  and  the  world ; 
and  to  accomplish  this  there  must  be  a  union  of  the  various 
denominations  in  the  effort.  With  absolute  church  unity  very 
much  might,  and  would,  be  done. 

It  would  hardly  be  well,  in  this  connection,  to  pass  over 
the  matter  of  the  great  Columbian  Exposition  and  its  relation 
to  the  Sabbath.  Upon  the  question  of  the  opening  of  that 
Exposition  on  the  Lord's  days  the  Presbytery  has  not  been 
silent.  As  a  body  composed  of  ministers,  elders,  and  Christian 
people,  her  voice  has  been  heard,  along  with  the  voice  of  God's 
host  throughout  the  land,  in  protesting  against  such  opening, 
and  calling  for  the  closing  of  all  exhibitions  on  the  holy  day. 

Upon  this  great  question  of  due  honor  to  God's  sacred  and 
blessed  day,  from  these  ministers,  elders,  and  people,  we  do  not 
hear  an  uncertain  sound.  And  gladly  will  they  hail  the  day 
when  both  the  Sabbath  and  the  inspired  Word  shall  have  more 
sacred  regard  in  the  eyes  of  all  people  in  this  great  nation. 


IX.    REVISING  THE  CONFESSION. 

There  has  also  been  an  opinion  regarding  the  propriety  of 
revising  the  Westminster  Confession  of  Faith.  There  were  in 
this  body  several  ministers,  and  perhaps  some  elders,  who  had 
a  desire  to  see  some  revision.  There  were  none,  however,  who 
were  so  desirous  for  any  change  in  the  statement  of  those  great 
doctrines  that  they  would  have  urged  or  agitated  the  matter. 
There  were  others  who,  when  the  question  of  revision  was  first 
raised,  were  in  heart  hoping  that  it  would  not  be  pressed.  They 
20 


306  IIIHTORY  OF  HURON  PRESBYTERY. 

were  satisfied  with  the  Confession  as  it  is,  and  did  not  wish  to 
see  the  old  document  modified.  There  were  several  who  were 
very  decided  in  their  convictions  that  it  should  remain  un- 
changed, and  one  or  two  continued  to  be  so.  Nearly  all,  how- 
ever, when  they  came  to  understand  each  other,  were  willing  to 
accept  some  revision.  A  very  few  changes  would  have  satisfied 
them — changes  in  the  wording,  or  the  dropping  out  of  a  few 
words,  in  those  several  places  at  which  the  real  doctrine  of  the 
Presbyterian  Church  has  been  liable  to  misunderstanding. 

There  was  not  one  minister  or  elder  who  expressed  himself 
as  desiring  any  real  change  in  the  doctrines  taught.  The  unity 
and  integrity  of  the  great  Calvinistic  body  of  truth  must,  in  any 
case,  be  held  fast.  Such  were  the  sentiments  expressed  in  the 
spring  of  1890,  when  the  presbyteries  were  expected  to  say  to 
the  General  Assembly  what  they  thought  and  what  they 
desired. 

Although  more  verbal  modifications  have  been  made  by  the 
Assembly's  committee,  in  the  Confession,  than  the  Presbytery 
would  have  suggested,  yet  it  is  now  probable  that  the  modifi- 
cations will  be  accepted. 

Along  with  the  expressed  views  of  the  Presbytery  upon  this 
subject,  there  have  been,  also,  declarations  regarding  the  heretical 
doctrines  taught  in  certain  quarters  regarding  the  Mosaism  of 
the  Pentateuch,  and  the  general  errancy  or  inerrancy  of  the 
Bible.  With  such  doubtful  and  doubt-producing  doctrines  the 
Presbytery  has  no  sympathy,  but  rather  stands  squarely  with 
the  General  Assemblies  of  1891  and  1892  in  their  treatment 
of  the  doctors  and  their  doctrines. 

This  body  still  hold  fast  to  the  Bible  as  the  one  infallible 
guide  to  life,  and  to  the  Calvinistic  system  of  doctrine  as  accord- 
ing to  this  Book. 


SOCIAL  A3IU8EMENTS.  307 

X.    SOCIAL  AMUSEMENTS. 

Not  very  frequently  has  the  question  of  social  amusements 
been  brought  before  this  body.  Occasionally  there  has  been 
some  expression  of  grief  that  the  bounds  of  Christian  propri- 
ety have  been  trespassed  in  some  of  the  churches.  As  already 
noted,  in  1848  one  of  the  churches  sent  up  the  inquiry,  "  Are 
those  parents  who  are  members  of  churches,  and  who  encour- 
age or  suffer  their  children  to  attend  dancing  schools,  balls, 
and  cotillion  parties,  to  be  considered  covenant  breakers  and 
dealt  with  accordingly  ?  " 

The  Presbytery  gave  an  answer,  through  a  committee  of 
which  Rev.  A.  Newton  was  chairman,  at  its  next  meeting. 
The  answer,  however,  was  not  recorded. 

In  the  narrative  from  the  churches  in  1887,  while  there  was 
much  that  was  encouraging,  there  was  yet  one  cause  of  lamen- 
tation. Several  of  the  elders  and  pastors  reported  that  in  their 
congregations  there  were  social  amusements  of  a  questionable 
character.  These  could  not  but  be  obstructive  of  Christian 
efforts.  In  some  localities  there  was  "  progressive  euchre,"  a 
game  which  was  becoming  quite  fashionable  in  social  circles. 
There  was,  also,  a  disposition  to  frequent  the  "  theatre."  These 
things  had  grieved  the  Spirit,  and  had  evidently  interfered 
with  the  spirituality  and  progress  of  the  churches.  It  seemed 
clear  to  some  minds  that  decided  action  on  the  part  of  the  ses- 
sions was  becoming  imperative.  These  amusements,  as  well  as 
that  of  promiscuous  dancing,  were  subjects  that  gave  grief  and 
care  to  pastors  and  elders.  They  were  subjects  which  were 
hard  to  manage  with  prudence  and  general  satisfaction.  The 
question.  What  is  most  to  the  glory  of  God,  the  purity  of  th^ 
Church,  and  the  good  of  individuals  and  families?  is  not 
always  easily  answered. 


308  HISTORY  OF  HURON  PRESBYTERY. 

THE  PREVAILING  JUDGMENT  OF  PRESBYTERY. 

While  the  question  of  dealing  witli  these  questionable  pleas- 
ures on  the  part  of  church  officers  is  one  which  is  felt  to  re- 
quire wisdom  and  prudence,  and  is  left  to  each  individual 
session  to  decide  for  itself,  yet  the  prevalent  judgment  of  the 
ministers  and  elders  of  the  Presbytery  regarding  the  amuse- 
ments and  those  who  practice  them  is  pretty  clearly  defined. 
It  is  only  pleasures  of  a  doubtful  character  that  any  one  would 
call  in  question.  Such  are  the  pleasures  that  encourage  wrong 
thought,  feeling,  or  action,  lead  into  doubtful  places  and  asso- 
ciations, and  become  so  captivating  as  to  greatly  absorb  the 
mind  and  heart,  thus  loosening  the  chords  of  purity  and  right, 
and  so  filling  the  soul  as  to  become  a  grievance  to  the  Holy 
Ghost.  The  practice,  within  limits,  of  amusements  of  this 
kind,  as  known  to  exist  in  their  churches,  may  sometimes  be 
endured  with  patience  and  hope  by  the  members  of  this  body  ; 
but  they  cannot  find  here  any  real  encouragement.  A  paper 
was  before  the  Presbytery  in  recent  years  from  the  session  of 
the  church  in  Fremont  bearing  on  this  general  subject,  in 
which  the  opinion  of  the  body,  at  any  time  in  its  history,  was, 
perhaps,  fairly  expressed.  This  opinion  was  that  even  if  there 
were  those  in  the  Church  who  for  themselves  could  see  no  evil 
in  such  amusements,  yet  inasmuch  as  they  professed  to  be 
Christians,  and  had  made  their  vows  unto  God  to  seek  always 
to  do  His  will,  and  inasmuch  as  the  general  judgment  of  the 
Church  is  against  these  things  as  either  wrong  in  themselves 
or  leading  to  wrong,  therefore,  such  professing  Christians,  with 
a  conscience  for  the  souls  of  others,  a  desire  to  do  God's  will, 
and  to  stand  themselves  with  undoubted  character  in  the 
Church,  ought  in  self-denial  to  abstain  from  all  such  pleasures. 
This  much  should  be  expected  of  the  earnest,  spiritually- 
minded  child  of  God,  or  of  one  who  would  be  such. 


LADIES'    3IISSI0NARY  SOCIETIES.  309 

XI.   MISSIONARY  SPIRIT. 

The  records  of  this  body  throughout  indicate  a  desire  to  cul- 
tivate in  the  churches  the  spirit  of  missionary  benevolence.  We 
have  seen  this  disposition  in  that  part  of  this  history  which 
was  prior  to  the  reunion.  The  same  spirit  has  prevailed  since, 
with  a  determination  to  support  all  the  boards  and  objects 
recommended  by  the  General  Assembly. 


LADIES'  MISSIONARY  SOCIETIES. 

On  the  26th  of  October,  1875,  the  first  move  was  made  in 
the  direction  of  women's  organizations  within  the  presbyterial 
bounds  for  the  aid  of  home  and  foreign  missionary  work.  In 
other  parts  of  the  Church  such  societies  were  already  doing 
much  good,  and  there  had  been  thoughts  among  the  ladies  of 
these  churches  of  entering  upon  such  work.  But  as  yet  these 
thoughts,  though  expressed,  had  not  culminated  into  actualities. 
The  Presbytery,  at  the  time  above-named,  passed  several  reso- 
lutions commending  this  movement,  and  hoping  that  the  ladies 
might  enter  into  it.  There  was  soon  a  ready  response  to  the 
wishes  of  the  ministers  and  elders ;  some  of  the  churches  had 
their  local  societies  and  the  presbyterial  organization  was 
effected.  The  ladies  of  Huron  Presbytery  have  been  for- 
ward in  both  the  home  and  the  foreign  missionary  work. 
Their  aim  has  been  to  raise  in  the  churches  the  standard  of 
beneficence.  They  have  proven  tlieir  earnestness  and  their 
courage  of  faith.  Their  public  meetings  have  always  been  full  of 
interest,  and  when  conducted,  as  they  formerly  were,  in  connec- 
tion with  the  semi-annual  assemblings  of  the  Presbytery,  they 
have  drawn  the  people  to  them.  These  good  women  have 
shown  their  ability  to  conduct  such  meetings  and  to  address 
them  with  effectiveness  on  these  most  important  of  all  themes. 
Their  societies  and  their  work  have  opened  up  a  new  era  in  the 
history  of  the  churches  and  of  the  Presbytery.  Since  they 
have  entered  this  door  of  helpfulness  they  have  been  keeping 


310  HISTORY  OF  HURON  PRESBYTERY. 

up  their  part  of  the  benevolent  work  nobly,  and  they  have 
been  developing  in  every  direction  as  co-workers  in  God's 
cause. 

In  1889  as  many  as  sixteen  of  the  churches  had  their 
Women's  Foreign  Missionary  Societies  organized  and  in  opera- 
tion. Fourteen  of  the  churches  had  also  their  home  mission- 
ary organization.  In  several  other  of  the  weaker  congregations 
there  were  "  Ladies'  Aid  Societies,"  which  were  doing  good  work 
for  the  cause  of  the  Master  at  their  own  doors.  The  women  have 
undertaken  great  things,  and  they  have  been  encouraged.  It 
is  a  fact,  not  to  be  overlooked,  that  in  this  Presbytery  the 
churches  owe  a  great  deal  of  their  effectiveness  and  prosperity 
to  their  Christian  women. 


PRESBYTERIAL  W.  F.  M.  SOCIETY. 

The  Presbytery  in  1875  expressed  the  hope  that  the  women 
might  enter  into  this  work.  In  that  and  the  year  following 
societies  were  formed  in  four  or  five  of  the  churches.  These 
were  auxiliary  to  the  Woman's  Board  of  the  Northwest.  They 
stood,  however,  alone,  and  independently  of  each  other.  At 
the  urgent  representations  and  solicitation  of  the  Board  of  the 
Northwest,  seconded  by  the  officers  of  the  Synodical  Society, 
steps  were  taken  in  1876  toward  organizing  the  Presbyterial 
Society.  Delegates  from  six  churches  met  in  Sandusky,  in 
April  of  that  3'^ear,  to  consider  the  subject.  A  committee  was 
appointed  and  a  secretary  designated  to  present  the  matter  to 
all  the  churches ;  and  further  action  as  to  the  forming  of  such 
a  society  was  deferred  till  the  next  meeting  of  Presbytery. 

The  organization  was  not  effected  till  April,  1878,  when  the 
Presbytery  was  in  session  at  Norwalk.  The  officers  of  the 
Synodical  Society,  Mrs.  Doolittle  and  Mrs.  Scott,  of  Toledo, 
were  present  and  acted  respectively  as  president  and  secretary. 
In  the  organization  of  the  new  society  Mrs.  S.  B.  Pease,  of 
Norwalk,  was  elected  president,  Mrs.  C.  W.  Cleveland,  secre- 
tary, and  Mrs.  J.  E.  Wilkison,  of  Fostoria,  treasurer. 


LADIES'   MISSIONARY  SOCIETIES.  311 

At  this  first  meeting  it  was  decided  that  Mrs.  Robertson, 
laboring  among  the  Creek  Indians,  should  be  the  missionary 
toward  whose  support  the  funds  of  this  Presbyterial  Society 
should  be  devoted.  By  the  next  year,  1879,  twelve  societies 
and  bands  were  reported  as  auxiliaries,  contributing  $371  for 
the  year.  The  officers  of  1878  were  all  re-elected  in  1879.  In 
1880  Mrs.  C.  K.  Bushnell,  of  Fremont,  was  chosen  president 
and  served  for  three  years ;  Mrs.  Sarah  Canfield,  of  Fremont, 
was  secretary  for  1880  ;  Mrs.  N.  C.  West,  of  Fremont,  was  secre- 
tary from  1881  to  1884 ;  Mrs  J.  E.  Wilkison  was  treasurer 
from  1878  to  1884  ;  and  was  again  elected  in  1886.  In  1883 
Mrs.  C.  K.  Smoyer,  of  Elmore,  was  chosen  president  and  served 
for  that  year.  In  1884  it  was  judged  best  that  all  the  officers 
should  belong  to  the  same  church,  to  promote  ease  of  action ; 
and  this  policy  has  been  observed  until  now.  In  accordance 
with  it  the  Sandusky  church  was  represented  for  1884  and 
1885  by  Mrs.  W.  F.  Converse,  as  president ;  Mrs.  J.  R.  Davis, 
secretary,  and  Mrs.  M.  F.  Lee,  treasurer.  For  1886  Mrs.  Wm. 
Foulkes,  Mrs.  Wm.  Palmer,  and  Mrs.  J.  E.  Wilkison,  of  Fos- 
toria,  respectively  filled  these  offices.  For  1887  and  1888  the 
Tiffin  church  furnished  the  officers  in  the  persons  of  Mrs.  S.  B. 
Sneath,  president ;  Mrs.  Delia  Shawhan,  secretary,  and  Mrs.  G. 
P.  Willard,  treasurer.  For  1889  and  1890  Mrs.  Edgerton, 
Miss  Maud  Hull,  and  Miss  Mary  Miller,  of  Fremont,  were  the 
officers.  In  1891  they  were  Mrs.  W.  F.  Converse,  Miss  Harriet 
C.  West,  and  Mrs.  P.  G.  Walker,  of  Sandusky.  For  1892  they 
are,  respectively,  Mrs.  E.  H.  Farr,  Mrs.  K.  E.  Christian,  and 
Mrs.  J.  S.  White,  of  Norwalk. 

At  the  meetings  of  this  society,  held  from  time  to  time  and 
from  place  to  place,  papers  are  read  and  discussions  are  held 
upon  various  missionary  subjects  calculated  to  stimulate  to 
earnestness  and  activity.  Letters  are  also  read  from  mission- 
aries who  have  gone  out  from  the  different  churches;  those 
from  Miss  Fitch,  of  China,  have  been  especially  interesting. 
Mrs.  Robertson  having  ceased  to  be  actively  engaged  in  the 
missionary  work,  though  still  occupied  in  translating  the  Bible 


312  HISTORY  OF  HURON  PRESBYTERY. 

into  the  Creek  language,  in  April,  1889,  Mrs.  Leonard,  of 
Findlay,  missionary  to  Osaka,  Japan,  was  chosen  as  the 
missionary  of  this  Society.  The  contributions  have  increased, 
and  the  Christian  women  are  encouraged  in  their  work. 


PRESBYTERIAL  W.  H.  M.  SOCIETY. 

By  Mns.  E.  H.  Faur. 

In  the  spring  of  1883  the  Woman's  Executive  Committee 
of  Home  Missions,  which  had  but  shortly  before  been  inaugu- 
rated to  form  schools  and  send  teachers  to  "  the  exceptional 
population"  of  the  West,  sent  Mrs.  C.  E.  Walker  to  visit  the 
churches  and  interest  the  women  in  this  new  field  of  work. 
She  came  to  Huron  Presbytery.  A  few  churches  organized 
branch  societies  at  once. 

The  same  year,  at  the  meeting  of  the  Synod  at  Toledo,  Mrs. 
K.  E.  Christian  and  Mrs.  J.  E.  Lutts,  of  Xorwalk,  Avere 
appointed  a  Synodical  Committee  to  extend  the  organization 
and,  as  soon  as  practicable,  perfect  a  Presbyterial  Woman's 
Home  Mission  Society.  In  response  to  a  call,  made  by  the 
Synodical  Committee  to  the  women  of  Huron  Presbytery, 
eighteen  delegates  convened  at  Clyde,  September  15,  1886  (the 
regular  meeting  of  Presbytery  being  in  session  there),  and 
organized  a  Presbyterial  Woman's  Home  Mission  Society. 
Seven  churches  were  represented,  viz.,  Clyde,  Fostoria,  Fremont, 
Republic,  Milan,  Sandusky,  and  Norwalk. 

The  officers  elected  were :  President,  Mrs.  George  Zimmerman 
of  Fremont ;  vice-presidents,  Mrs.  K.  E.  Christian  and  Mrs.  J. 
E.  Lutts,  of  Norwalk  ;  corresponding  secretary,  i\lrs.  C.  S.  Beel- 
man,  of  Fremont ;  treasurer.  Miss  ISIary  0.  Miller,  of  Fremont. 

The  first  regular  meeting  was  held  at  Tiffin,  in  connection 
with  the  Presbytery,  April  12,  1887.  An  earnest  and  enthusi- 
astic spirit  was  felt  in  the  convention.  This  spirit  was  increased 
until  the  churches  have  fallen  into  line  ;  and  at  the  annual 
meeting  held  at  McCutchensville,  September  11,  1889,  twenty- 


LADIES'   MISSIONARY  SOCIETIES.  313 

one  societies  and  bands  were  reported  organized.  Four  Sunday- 
schools  are  contributing  to  the  Women's  Boards  of  Home 
Missions  and  Freedmen. 

In  September,  1888,  the  Presbyterial  Society  assumed  part 
of  the  support  of  Mrs.  A.  E.  W.  Robertson,  a  veteran  mission- 
ary to  the  Creek  Indians,  who  had  been  under  the  care  of 
the  Woman's  Presbyterial  Foreign  Missionary  Society  for  two 
years ;  but  upon  the  transfer  to  the  Home  Mission  Board  (she 
and  the  women  of  Huron  Presbyter}'^  being  loth  to  sever  the 
connection  that  had  existed  so  long  between  them)  the  Presby- 
terial Home  Mission  Society  took  her  as  their  missionary. 

Miss  Delia  Barber,  of  Nor  walk,  who  is  teaching  a  school  for 
freedmen  at  Point  Coupee,  Louisiana,  is  connected  with  this 
Society. 

The  officers  re-elected  September  11,  1889,  were :  President, 
Mrs.  K.  E.  Christian,  Norwalk  ;  vice-presidents,  Mrs.  George 
Zimmerman  and  Mrs.  C.  S.  Beelman,  Fremont ;  corresponding 
secretary,  Mrs.  E.  H.  Farr,  Norwalk ;  recording  secretary, 
Mrs.  F.  L.  Stein,  Norwalk,  and  treasurer,  Mrs.  J.  E.  Lutts, 
Norwalk. 

Since  1889  the  work  of  this  Society  has  gone  forward.  For 
1891  the  officers  chosen  were  from  the  Fostoria  church  :  Presi- 
dent, Mrs.  C.  B.  Treat ;  secretary,  Mrs.  W.  S.  Payne ;  treasurer, 
Mrs.  J.  E.  Wilkison,  and  secretary  of  band  work,  Miss  Jennie 
M.  Lytle. 

SYSTEM  OBSERVED. 

In  the  Presbytery  there  have  been,  from  time  to  time,  various 
efforts  to  get  at  the  best  way  of  reaching  the  largest  results  in 
the  way  of  offerings.  In  the  methods  adopted  there  has  gener- 
ally been  found  to  be  some  point  of  weakness,  so .  that  results 
were  not  wholly  satisfactory.  No  better  method  has  been  in 
use  in  this  body  than  that  which  is  at  present  imperfectly 
observed.  At  the  meeting  in  April,  1880,  Rev.  W.  T.  Hart,  for 
the  Committee  on  the  Reconstruction  of  the  Standing  Commit- 
tees of  Presbytery,  reported,  recommending  that  the  Standing 


314  HISTORY  OF  HURON  PRESBYTERY. 

Committees  on  the  Boards  be  reconstructed  according  to  the 
I)lan  recommended  by  the  General  Assembly.  According  to 
this  plan,  each  of  the  Boards  of  the  Presbyterian  Church  has 
its  own  presbyterial  committee.  The  duty  of  these  committees, 
and  especially  of  the  chairmen,  is  to  look  after  the  interest  of 
the  Boards  represented  by  them  and  to  keep  such  Boards  from 
year  to  year  before  the  churches  and  before  the  Presbytery. 
With  this  arrangement,  which  was  heartily  adopted,  the  Pres- 
bytery is  fairly  organized  for  benevolent  work. 

In  addition  to  this,  it  has  been  enjoined  upon  the  ministers 
and  sessions  of  the  churches  to  give  their  congregations  an 
opportunity  to  contribute  to  each  of  the  Boards  regularly  each 
year.  The  aim  has  been,  especially  in  these  later  years,  to 
secure,  so  far  as  possible,  and  to  cultivate,  the  spirit  of  system- 
atic beneficence.  To  this  end  there  have  been  some  interesting 
discussions  of  the  subject  of 


WORSHIP  BY  OFFERINGS. 

In  April,  1885,  a  paper  was  presented  by  Pev.  C.  E.  Barnes, 
in  the  form  of  an  overture  to  the  General  Assembly,  the  object 
of  which  was  to  bring  more  distinctly  before  the  mind  of 
God's  people  this  idea  of  "  worship  by  offerings."  It  was 
believed  that,  with  the  true  idea  more  clearly  seen  and  cm- 
braced,  Christian  liberality  would  be  developed ;  that  every 
member  of  the  churches,  whether  rich  or  poor,  would  be 
encouraged  to  give  of  his  substance,  whatever  his  calling  might 
be,  habitually  and  systematically,  as  the  Lord  shall  have  pros- 
pered him.  The  objects  for  which  offerings  are  to  be  made,  in 
the  various  ways  of  promoting  the  preaching  of  the  Gospel  to  all 
the  world,  are  to  be  distinctly  and  frequently  set  forth.  But  it 
was  urged  that  the  opportunity  should  be  given  to  God's  chil- 
dren on  every  Lord's  Day  to  make  such  offerings  out  of  what 
they  may  have  gathered  during  the  week,  and  the  true  idea  was 
inculcated  that  the  offerings  should  be  made  "  as  an  act  of 
worship,"  accompanied  with  prayer  for  God's  blessing  thereon, 


CHRISTIAN  BENEFICENCE.  315 

thus  devoting  the  gift  worshipfully  to  His  holy  service.  Let 
this  conviction  and  feeling  prevail,  that  contributions,  great  or 
small,  are  real  consecrative  offerings,  made  unto  the  Lord  and 
not  to  men,  and  surely  there  will  be  more  Christian  heart  and 
more  liberal  largeness  in  giving.  This  should  be  the  idea,  the 
same  that  was  cultivated  in  the  Mosaic  worship,  regarding  all 
contributions  made  for  the  help  of  the  Church,  whether  at 
home  or  abroad.  They  should  be  brought  to  the  sacred  altar 
and  religiously  laid  thereon. 

After  some  discussion,  in  which  there  was  general  agreement, 
the  overture  to  the  Assembly  was  adopted. 

In  the  narrative  of  the  state  of  religion  in  the  churches  pre- 
pared for  the  Assembly  in  April,  1887,  by  Rev.  C.  E.  Barnes, 
encouraging  statements  were  made  concerning  the  matter  of 
Christian  beneficence  within  the  presbyterial  bounds.  There 
was  evidence,  from  the  various  reports,  that  nearly  all  the 
churches  had  adopted  some  plan  of  systematic  giving ;  the  pre- 
vailing plan  was  that  of  monthly  collections.  Not  only  was 
there  the  plan  adopted,  but  most  of  the  churches  in  that  year 
had  reported  a  growing  spirit  of  liberality.  The  Presbytery, 
as  a  body,  has  been  in  earnest  and  truly  desires  to  see  advance- 
ment all  along  the  line  in  this  matter  of  interest  in  missions 
and  in  contributions  to  carry  them  forward. 


COMPARATIVE  STATISTICS. 

While  this  is  emphatically  true,  perhaps  some  helpful  think- 
ing may  be  awakened  by  a  consideration  of  some  comparative 
statistics.  It  may  be  premised  that  such  statistics  are  not 
always  fair  in  the  story  they  seem  to  tell,  yet  they  are  certainly 
not  to  be  overlooked,  and  they  may  be  of  great  value.  We  here 
give  the  facts  and  figures  for  the  years  1871,  1889,  and  1892. 
After  the  Reunion  there  were  reported,  in  1871,  twenty-two 
ministers  and  twenty  churches.  Of  these  ministers,  seven  were 
not  in  active  service  and  one  was  a  foreign  missionary,  leaving 
but  fourteen  as  active  on  the  field.     Of  the  twenty  churches, 


316  HISTORY  OF  HURON  PRESBYTERY. 

one  (Plymouth)  was  afterward  transferred  to  Wooster  Presby- 
tery, and  four  others  (Margaretta,  Lyme,  Florence,  and  Bir- 
mingham) went  to  the  Congregationalist  Association.  These 
five  churches  had  312  communicants.  Counting  them  and 
their  contributions  out  in  our  estimate,  we  had  in  1871  com- 
municants and  contributions  as  follows  :  Communicants,  1357  ; 
contributed  to  home  missions,  $853 ;  to  foreign  missions,  §890 ; 
to  education,  $1020;  to  publication,  $159 ;  to  church  erection, 
$69 ;  to  Relief  Fund,  $51 ;  to  freedmen,  SG2.  The  total  of 
benevolent  collections  was  $3104.  Of  this  sum,  however,  $450 
to  home  missions,  and  the  same  amount  to  foreign  missions, 
was  from  the  legacy  of  Mrs.  Lloyd,  of  the  Tiffin  church,  so  that 
the  actual  contributions  from  the  churches  was  $2204. 

Since  1871  four  churches  have  been  added  to  the  roll,  namely  : 
Republic  and  Green  Spring,  not  reported  at  that  time,  and 
Genoa  and  Graytown,  since  organized. 

In  1889  there  were  nineteen  churches  and  seventeen  minis- 
ters. Of  these  ministers,  one  was  a  foreign  missionary,  one 
was  teaching,  and  three  were  retired,  leaving  twelve  as  engaged 
in  active  service  within  the  territory  of  the  body. 

With  these  churches  and  ministers,  the  communicants  and 
benevolences  were  as  follows :  Communicants,  2374;  given  to 
home  missions,  $1385 ;  to  foreign  missions,  $1127 ;  to  education, 
$117  ;  to  church  erection,  $138 ;  to  relief  fund,  $116  ;  to  freed- 
men, $288;  to  publication,  $112;  to  sustentation,  $68,  and 
to  colleges  and  academies,  $127.  The  sum  total  of  contribu- 
tions for  this  year  was  $3478. 

In  1892  two  additional  churches  are  reported,  making  the 
number  twenty-one,  with  fifteen  ministers.  With  these  there 
are  communicants  and  contributions  as  follows:  Communi- 
cants, 2502 ;  given  to  home  missions,  $1052 ;  to  foreign  mis- 
sions, $1058;  to  education,  $126;  to  Sunday-school  work,  $255; 
to  church  erection,  $167;  to  relief  fund,  $113;  to  freedmen, 
$352 ;  to  sustentation,  $55  ;  to  aid  for  colleges,  $39.  The  sum 
total  is  $3217. 

The  amount  given  per  communicant  in  1871  was  $1.62;  the 


GREEN  SPRING  ACADE3IY.  317 

amount  in  1889  was  $1.46 ;  and  in  1892  it  is  $1.28.  There  has 
therefore  been  a  gradual  diminution  from  year  to  year  in  the 
proportion  contributed  by  each  church  member. 

To  account  for  this  unpleasant  fact  may  not  be  easy.  It 
is  not  because  the  churches  are  weaker  financially,  for  they 
have  improved  outwardly,  in  their  houses  of  worship,  more 
than  ever  before.  It  is  not  because  there  is  less  of  home  church 
interest,  for  that  has  apparently  greatly  improved.  It  is  not 
because  the  matter  of  benevolence  has  been  kept  less  promi- 
nently before  the  Presbytery  ;  the  opposite  is  the  fact.  It  is  not 
because  the  Women's  Societies  have  not  done  their  part  nobly 
and  well ;  for  their  efficiency  has  been  cause  for  gratitude.  Why 
is  it,  then,  that,  while  the  pro  rata  of  contributions  should  have 
been  going  up,  it  has  been  gradually  running  down  ?  It  may 
be  but  fair  to  suppose  that  some  of  the  contributions  in  1871,  as 
also  in  1872,  were  special  or  were  legacies.  It  may  also  be  truly 
said  that  a  larger  proportion  of  the  church  members  now  are 
the  children  of  Christian  households,  and  that,  after  all,  the 
families  are  giving  in  increased  proportion  rather  than  in 
decreased.  Yet  even  with  these  admissions,  and  keeping  in  view 
also  the  fact  that  congregations  have  been  enlarging  and  improv- 
ing their  houses  of  worship,  still  it  remains  true  that  the  tend- 
ency of  pro  rata  benevolent  giving  is  downward.  In  1871  the 
rate  was  $1.62 ;  in  1872  it  was  $1.77  ;  in  1885  it  was  $1.65 ;  in 
1886  it  was  $1.59 ;  in  1887  $1.54 ;  in  1888  a  special  year,  $2.00 ; 
in  1889  $1.46;  in  1890  $1.31:  in  1891  $1.42;  in  1892  $1.28. 

Has  the  matter  been  partly  forgotten  by  the  men  while  the 
women  are  doing  so  nobly?  Is  there  now  need  of  Men's 
Missionary  Societies,  that  the  men  may  do  their  part  in  this 
great  cause? 


XII.    GREEN  SPRING  ACADEMY. 

A  little  educational  episode  in  the  history  of  this  body  it 
might  not  be  well  to  omit.  The  following  are  the  facts.  The 
S^^nod  of  Toledo,  embracing  the  four  Presbyteries  of  Lima, 


318  HISTORY  OF  HURON  PRESBYTERY. 

Bellefoiitainc,  Huron,  and  Maumee,  resolved,  in  October,  1880, 
to  found  somewhere  within  its  bounds  a  Presbyterial  Academy. 
It  was  to  be  an  institution  of  high  aim,  and  to  be  under  the  care 
of  the  Synod.  The  Synod  at  once  appointed  a  committee,  con- 
sisting of  Dr.  H.  M.  McCracken,  of  Toledo ;  Dr.  E.  Bushnell,  of 
Fremont ;  Rev.  L.  I.  Drake,  of  West  Liberty,  and  Rev.  I.  G. 
Hall,  of  Lima,  with  directions  to  seek  and  decide  upon  a  loca- 
tion. They  were  to  unite  with  themselves  three  other  men 
from  the  region  of  the  location  of  the  institution,  who  with 
them  were  to  constitute  the  Board  of  Trustees  of  the  Academy. 
They  were  to  secure  grounds  and  building,  and  to  proceed  to 
secure  teachers,  and  to  open  the  institution  when  the  way  was 
prepared. 

The  Synod,  at  the  time,  were  so  much  in  earnest  that  they 
pledged  this  Board  of  Trustees  their  aid  and  support,  and 
declared  it  to  be  their  purpose  to  secure  an  endowment  of  at 
least  twenty  or  twenty-five  thousand  dollars.  This,  they 
declared,  they  regarded  as  but  the  beginning  of  w^hat  they 
would  do,  that  the  Academy  might  be  second  to  none  in  the 
land.  The  four  men  appointed  directly  by  the  Synod,  having 
agreed  upon  the  location,  attached  to  their  number  ex-Presi- 
dent R.  B.  Hayes,  of  Fremont ;  Judge  Joseph  Cummings,  of 
Toledo,  with  large  business  interests  at  Green  Spring,  and  Mr. 
Samuel  Smith,  of  Green  Spring. 

The  estate  of  Mr.  Robert  Smith,  deceased,  of  Green  Spring, 
gave  six  acres  of  ground  for  the  location  ;  and  the  people  of 
the  village,  by  a  unanimous  vote,  authority  liaA^ng  been 
secured  through  the  Legislature,  engaged  to  erect  the  building 
at  a  cost  of  $20,000.  They  were  to  be  in  law  the  real  owners 
of  the  building,  but  were  to  lease  it  to  the  Board  of  the 
Academy,  representing  the  Synod  of  Toledo,  for  a  period  of 
thirty-three  years,  with  the  right  secured  to  the  Board  to 
extend  the  lease  indefinitely  at  their  pleasure. 

Several  other  points  had  greatly  desired  the  location,  but 
Green  Spring  secured  it.  The  building  was  erected.  The 
arrangement  between  the  Board  of  Trustees  and  the  village 


GREEN  SPRING  ACADEMY.  319 

of  Green  Spring  was  completed,  the  Board  contracting  that 
the  pupils  from  the  public  schools  of  the  village,  after  they 
were  able  to  pass  a  required  examination,  should  have  the 
privileges  of  the  Academy,  tuition  free  of  cost. 

After  having  completed  these  arrangements,  and  when  the 
building  was  in  the  way  of  construction,  this  Board  of  Trustees 
reported  the  same  to  the  Synod  and  to  the  separate  presby- 
teries. Their  reasonable  hope  was  that  the  four  presbyteries 
constituting  the  Synod  would  be  ready  to  do  their  part  in 
fulfilling  the  Synod's  obligations.  Yet  no  person  was  author- 
ized to  secure  financial  pledges  or  funds  for  the  school  in  any 
of  these  bodies. 

Dr.  E.  Bushnell  reported  to  the  Presbytery  of  Huron,  at  its 
meeting  in  April,  1882,  concerning  the  Academy,  whereupon  a 
committee,  consisting  of  Rev.  J.  S.  Axtell,  Rev.  W.  T.  Hart, 
and  Rev.  J.  D.  Williamson,  was  appointed  to  prepare  a  minute 
relative  thereto.  The  report  of  this  committee,  presented  by 
the  Rev.  J.  S.  Axtell,  was  adopted,  "  declaring  the  joy  of  the 
Presbytery  that  the  Academy  had  been  located  within  its 
bounds,  and  recommending  that  the  ministers  bring  it  before 
their  congregations  and  solicit  funds  for  its  endowment  and 
necessary  expenses." 

Upon  several  occasions  afterward  did  the  Presbytery  express 
its  interest  in  the  institution,  and  commend  it  to  favor,  help, 
and  patronage. 

In  May,  1882,  one  of  the  members  of  this  body,  Rev.  R.  B. 
Moore,  was  chosen  principal  of  the  Academy  by  the  Board  of 
Trustees.  After  much  previous  hesitation  he  accepted  the 
position.  It  was  decided  by  the  Board  that  the  school  should 
open  on  the  5th  of  the  following  September.  The  principal  was 
authorized  to  secure  assistant  teachers,  being  limited  to  a  certain 
sum  of  money  which  was  to  secure  the  requisite  help.  He  at 
once  associated  with  himself  Rev.  J.  S.  Axtell,  another  member 
of  Huron  Presbytery  ;  he  also  secured,  as  other  teachers.  Miss 
Bessie  McGaw,  daughter  of  Dr.  J,  A.  P.  McGaw,  of  Toledo, 
now  member  of  the  Board,  and  Professor  0.  E.  Loveland,  with 


320  HISTORY  OF  HURON  PRESBYTERY. 

Miss  Anna  M.  Stevenson,  of  Greensburg,  Pa.,  as  teacher  of 
music. 

With  this  assistance  secured,  he  endeavored  to  prepare  to 
open  tlie  Academy  at  the  time  designated. 

It,  however,  devolved  upon  the  principal  to  secure  funds, 
not  less  than  $5000,  to  furnish  the  building  in  a  satisfactory 
manner.  This  he  expected  to  collect  from  the  churches  of 
the  four  presbyteries.  He  made  considerable  effort  in  this 
direction.  But  it  was  found  that  the  presbyteries  were  not 
interested  in  the  matter,  especially  the  three  in  which  the 
institution  had  not  been  located.  There  had  even  been  in  the 
Synod  at  its  last  meeting  some  outspoken  opposition.  This 
was  known  through  the  presbyteries,  and  many  of  the 
churches  had  been  unfavorably  influenced.  Consequently, 
there  was  not  a  just  disposition  to  fulfill  the  moral  obligations 
that  had  been  assumed  by  the  decided  action  of  the  Synod  in 
its  first  steps  to  originate  the  Academy.  So  sanguine,  however, 
w^as  the  principal  that  the  school  would  succeed,  and  so  firmly 
did  he  believe  that  it  was  needed  and  would  do  a  good  work, 
that  he  went  forward  and  partially  furnished  the  building, 
using  mainly  his  own  funds,  and  at  the  time  named  the 
Academy  was  opened.  A  respectable  number  of  pupils 
attended. 

Sixty-five  were  enrolled  during  the  first  year.  But  at  the 
end  of  the  year  Mr.  Moore,  satisfied  that  the  presbyteries,  the 
Synod  of  Toledo  having  become  a  part  of  the  one  Synod  of 
Ohio,  w'ould  not  fulfill  the  obligations  the  Synod  had  assumed, 
resigned  his  position.  He  had,  not  without  the  will  and  knowl- 
edge of  the  Board  in  making  the  debt,  involved  the  Board  in 
the  sum  of  over  three  thousand  dollars,  which  they  now  owed 
to  him. 

His  sensitive  nature  would  not  permit  him  to  go  to  the 
churches,  begging  them  to  pay  this  debt  to  himself.  He,  there- 
fore, took  the  only  course  left  open — reported  the  financial  con- 
dition of  the  Academy  and  off'ered  his  resignation.  It  was,  of 
course,  accepted.     The  Board  of  Trustees,  like  true  men,  led  by 


GREEN  SPRING  ACADEMY.  321 

that  noblest  of  men,  ex-President  R.  B.  Hayes,  president  of  the 
Board,  assumed  the  debt,  and,  as  it  was  all  due  to  the  resigning 
principal,  they  gave  him  their  note  in  full  for  the  amount,  pay- 
able with  interest,  and  in  due  time  they  paid  it. 

Mr.  Moore  had  succeeded  in  raising  considerably  less  than 
one  thousand  dollars  from  the  churches.  More  of  this  had 
been  given  in  Huron  Presbytery  than  in  all  three  of  the  others. 

After  his  resignation  Rev.  J.  S.  Axtell  was  chosen  to  fill  the 
vacancy.  He  accepted,  and  was  in  charge  for  two  years.  Rev. 
G.  S.  J.  Browne  was  secured  to  canvass  the  presbyteries  and 
churches,  as  an  agent,  for  the  yet  hoped-for  funds.  Utterly 
failing  to  accomplish  anything,  after  due  trial  he  resigned. 
Mr.  Axtell  resigned  at  the  end  of  his  second  year.  The  school 
had  not  enlarged.  In  the  summer  of  1884,  however,  the  mem- 
bers of  the  Board,  representing  the  four  presbyteries,  were 
willing  to  resign  the  institution  to  other  hands.  Adelbert  Col- 
lege, the  successor  to  Western  Reserve  College,  was  willing  to 
take  it  under  its  care.  Arrangements  to  this  end  were  accord- 
ingly made.  Adelbert  College,  of  Cleveland,  assumed  the  debts 
and  the  oversight  of  the  Academy,  adopting  it  as  one  of  the 
preparatory  schools  for  its  own  halls.  The  presbyteries,  there- 
fore, ceased  to  have  anything  to  do  with  it,  Huron  no  more 
than  the  other  three. 

Thus  originated  and  thus  ended  the  relation  of  the  Presbytery 
to  an  institution  which,  it  was  hoped,  would  prove  a  help  and 
an  honor  to  the  cause  of  Presbyterian  education.  It  is,  j^er- 
haps,  less  a  regret  that  it  did  not  succeed  in  its  original  intention 
than  that  its  failure  should  be  laid  at  the  door  of  the  presby- 
teries. Yet  two  things  are  to  be  predicated  concerning  the 
matter.  One  is  that  the  people  of  the  village  have,  after  all, 
no  just  ground  for  complaint  against  the  Synod,  and  the  other 
is  that  the  Academy  has  not  proven  a  failure.  Though 
Presbyterianism,  as  such,  has  ceased  to  have  any  control  of 
the  institution,  yet  it  is  all  the  while  doing  good  work.  It  is 
managed  by  a  first-class  Board  of  Trustees,  of  which  the  Hon. 
Rutherford  B.  Hayes  is  president,  as  he  has  been  from  the 

21 


322  HISTORY  OF  HURON  PRESBYTERY. 

beginning.  The  other  members  of  this  Board  are :  Rev  J.  A.  P. 
McGaw,  I).  D.,  of  Toledo ;  Samuel  Smith,  of  Green  Spring ; 
Rev.  E.  Bushnell,  d.  d.,  of  Cleveland ;  Rev.  D.  D.  Bigger,  d.  d., 
of  TifRn;  P.  N.  Schuyler,  of  Bellevue;  D.  P.  Campbell,  m.  d., 
of  Green  Spring;  Rev.  Joel  Seymour,  of  Norwalk,  and  Rev. 
C.  F.  Thwing,  president  of  Adelbert  College.  Prof.  Morris  J. 
Hole  is  the  principal  of  the  Academy,  and  the  institution  is 
worthy  of  full  confidence  and  large  patronage. 


Xlll.    THE  MINISTERS'  MEETING. 

The  history  of  Huron  Presbytery  would  be  far  from  complete 
without  a  notice  of  what  was  so  long  known  as  "  The  Minis- 
ters' Meeting."  Few,  if  any,  other  Ipresbyteries  have  kept  up 
for  so  long  a  period  such  a  "  meeting."  In  its  outstart  this 
body  devoted  some  part  of  its  time  at  each  meeting  to  the  dis- 
cussion of  theological  and  Scriptural  subjects.  When  the  busi- 
ness of  the  Presbytery  had  so  increased  that  time  could  not 
longer  be  taken  for  such  discussions,  the  article  in  the  Consti- 
tution calling  for  them  was  abrogated.  But  it  was  soon  decided 
to  organize  the  "  Ministers'  Meeting  "  for  this  purpose.  In  the 
new  state  of  the  country  there  was,  no  doubt,  a  want  felt  which 
was  sought  to  be  supplied  in  this  way.  The  organization  was 
effected,  at  Milan,  on  the  31st  of  December,  1837.  The  minis- 
ters then  present  were :  E.  Conger,  A.  Nash,  E.  Barber,  E.  Jud- 
son,  A.  Newton,  and  B.  B.  Judson.  The  design  of  the  organ- 
ization was  the  social,  intellectual,  and  spiritual  improvement 
of  the  members  and  their  families.  It  was  the  source  of  a  great 
deal  of  enjoyment,  both  socially  and  intellectually.  The  plan 
was  to  meet  at  the  home  of  one  of  the  ministers  on  a  certain 
day  of  each  month,  each  one  taking  his  turn  in  the  entertain- 
ment. Here  they  were  all  to  take  dinner,  provided  by  the 
good  wife  of  the  lord  of  the  home.  The  ministers  were  ex- 
pected to  bring  their  wives  with  them,  so  that  they,  too,  might 
participate  in  the  socialities  of  the  occasion.  The  day — usually 
a  Monday — was  devoted  to  the  objects  of  this  meeting.     From 


THE  MINISTERS'   MEETING.  323 

two  to  four  hours  were  given  to  the  special  subject  appointed 
for  discussion.  In  that  day  the  accommodations  for  traveHng 
were  by  no  means  what  they  are  now.  Yet  these  brethren  and 
their  wives,  intent  on  making  the  most  of  life  in  the  Master's 
service  in  this  "  western  land,"  were  interested.  They  wanted 
the  sweets  of  social  intercourse  and  the  encouragements  and 
help  they  could  give  to  each  other.  And  so,  in  their  vehicles, 
such  as  they  were,  and  on  horseback,  they  would  go  when 
they  could,  and,  after  spending  the  few  hours  together,  would 
wend  their  way  home  again. 

Many  a  happy  hour  did  the}^  have,  enjoying  a  good  dinner, 
a  hearty  laugh  sometimes,  and  sometimes  relating  to  each 
other  the  trials,  joys,  or  other  experiences  of  their  daily  life. 

Just  what  the  programme  was  in  the  earlier  years  of  this 
meeting  we  are  not  able  to  tell ;  but  we  know  what  it  was  in 
the  later  years  of  its  history,  and  it  was  substantially  the  same 
as  formerly.  The  exercises  were  always  opened  with  prayer 
and  the  election  of  officers  for  the  day.  Then  the  minister  at 
whose  home  they  were  was  expected  to  read  a  sermon ;  after 
which  the  moderator  would  call  upon  all  members  present  for 
opinions  and  criticisms  of  the  sermon.  This  was  followed  by 
the  reading  of  some  portion  of  the  Greek  Testament.  In  this 
the  Gospels  and  Epistles  were  taken  up  in  their  order.  The 
reading  was  done  critically  and  exegetically,  as  in  the  class- 
room, and  always  with  great  profit,  as  the  writer  hereof  can 
testify. 

After  an  hour  spent  in  this  reading,  perhaps,  dinner  would 
be  ready,  when  all  would  heartily,  and  often  jovially,  partici- 
pate with  the  good  ladies  and  others  who  might  be  present  in 
discussing  that.  There  was  no  haste  to  get  through  with  it. 
When  it  was  finished,  and  after  a  brief  post-dinner  conversa- 
tion, the  good  lords  would  return  to  their  special  work. 

This  was,  next,  to  hear  an  essay  read  by  some  one  previously 
appointed,  on  some  particular  theme,  to  discuss  that,  and  then 
to  hear  a  review  of  some  recently  published  book  by  another. 
This,  too,  would  be  the  subject  of  a  free  interchange  of  opinion, 


324  HISTORY  OF  HURON  PRESBYTERY. 

and  would  be  followed  by  an  exegesis  of  some  supposed  diffi- 
cult passage  of  Scripture.  This  would  generally  be  discussed 
freely  by  all  present.  Then  followed  the  reading  of  the 
skeleton  of  a  sermon  by  each  and  all  of  the  ministers  on  the 
same  text,  previously  selected,  and  each  open  to  the  criticism 
of  all.  Plans  and  subjects  and  place  for  the  next  meeting 
would  then  be  decided,  and  all  would  be  closed  witli  prayer. 
The  brethren  bade  each  other  "  Good-bye,"  and  returned  home- 
ward, always  glad  of  having  come  together  and  hoping  soon  to 
meet  again. 

Some  of  the  questions  examined  in  the  earlier  meetings  of 
the  Presbytery  are  as  follows : — 

"  What  does  the  Holy  Ghost  do  for  those  who  are  converted 
that  He  does  not  do  for  those  who  are  not  converted  ?  " 

"  What  is  meant  by  the  word  creation  in  Romans  viii,  19-23?" 

"Is  it  consistent  with  the  principles  of  religion  for  pro- 
fessors to  engage  in  lawsuits  with  one  another  ?  " 

"  What  relation  do  baptized  children  sustain  to  the  Church  ?  " 

"  Provided  God  has  decreed  all  things  to  take  place,  does  it 
thence  follow  that  He  is  the  author  of  sin,  and  that  mankind 
is  excusable  in  committing  it  ?  " 

"  At  what  particular  period  do  saints  become  perfect  in 
holiness  ?  " 

"  Has  God  required  anything  of  His  creatures  but  what  they 
have  the  ability  to  perform  ?  " 

"  Do  tlie  purposes  of  God  include  the  transactions  relative  to 
the  crucifixion  of  Christ  ?  " 

"  Is  the  Christian,  at  the  same  time,  in  the  exercise  of  sinful 
and  holy  volitions  ?  If  so,  are  these  distinct  exercises  ?  " 

"  Is  not  the  frequent  repetition  of  the  name  of  the  Supreme 
Being  in  prayer  conducive  to  irreverence  ?  " 

"  Is  changing  the  heart  the  work  of  God  as  a  moral  Gov- 
ernor or  as  a  Sovereign  efficient  ?  " 

"  As  this  is  not  a  state  of  retribution,  is  there  a  greater  pros- 
pect of  temporal  good  to  the  righteous  than  to  the  wicked  ?  '' 

"  What  proof  have  we  that  the  atonement  is  sufficient  to  all 
mankind?" 


THE  MINISTERS'   3IEETING.  325 

It  is  more  than  likely  that  many  of  these  questions  had  a 
local  as  well  as  a  general  interest,  owing  to  the  disposition  in 
men,  often  manifest,  to  find  fault  with  Scripture  or  with  Calvin- 
istic  doctrine. 

In  later  years  the  questions  that  were  suggested  for  dis- 
cussion were  moral,  theological,  scientific,  national,  or  popular. 
They  were  subjects  such  as  the  times  in  these  various  directions 
would  suggest.  The  papers  upon  them  were  usually  prepared 
with  great  care,  and  the  interchanges  of  opinion  were  alwaj'S 
expressed  in  jDleasantness  and  in  the  spirit  of  brotherly  love. 
One  of  the  beautiful  facts  about  these  meetings  was  that  they 
were  always  conducted  in  the  most  fraternal  spirit.  Sometimes 
there  would  be  differences  of  opinions,  but  we  have  never 
heard  of  anything  like  an  alienation.  We  remember  how 
earnestly  the  atonement  was  discussed  in  some  three  successive 
meetings;  and  there  were  differences  of  view,  but  the  fact 
that  all  were  true  brethren  was  never  forgotten. 

First,  an  essay  was  written  on  '•'  The  Moral  Influence  Theory," 
in  which  that  theory  was  strongly  disapproved,  and  in  which 
disapproval  all  agreed.  Next,  a  paper  was  read  on  "  The  Gov- 
ernmental Theory,"  in  which  that  theory  was  strongly  com- 
mended as  the  true  one.  To  this  there  were  decided  objections, 
and  the  meeting  was  nearly  equally  divided  upon  it.  This  led 
to  a  final  paper,  on  "  The  Vicarious  Theory,"  in  which  that 
theory  was  defended  as  the  only  one  according  with  Scripture 
and  with  the  necessities  of  the  case,  and  as  embracing  the 
truths  that  do  lie  in  the  other  two.  But  here  again  the  differ- 
ences of  opinion  were  outspoken  and  earnest ;  yet  the  prevailing 
spirit  of  oneness  among  brethren  was  not  broken. 

It  is  believed  that  the  older  members  of  the  Presbytery 
especially  were  greatly  interested  in  this  "  Ministers'  Meeting." 
They  were  in  the  habit  of  attending  regularly  when  not  Provi- 
dentially hindered.  The  writer  of  these  lines  well  remembers 
an  occasion  when  the  meeting  was  to  be  at  his  own  house.  The 
morning  opened  with  a  heavy  snow  storm.  The  winds  blew 
and  the  snow  fell,  and  we  concluded  Ave  would  have  our  home 


326  HISTORY  OF  HURON  PRESBYTERY. 

and  our  turkey  all  to  ourselves  that  day.  But  not  so.  "When 
the  hour  arrived,  we  were  rejoiced  to  see  almost  the  usual 
number  present,  among  whom  were  Dr.  E.  Bushnell  and  the 
father  and  friend  to  us  all.  Dr.  A.  Newton,  and  we  had  a  happy 
day  in  spite  of  the  storm.  The  united  judgment  was  that  the 
exercises  of  these  occasions  were  greatly  profitable.  To  the 
menxbers  of  Presbytery  they  were  a  happy  continuation  of  the 
work  of  the  theological  seminary,  and  that  in  closest  proximity 
to  pastoral  experiences  and  needs.  These  men  found  that  as 
iron  sharpeneth  iron,  so  these  monthly  interchanges  of  thought 
were, helpful  in  brightening  up  and  in  keeping  alive  thinking 
and  studious  habits. 

The  organization  continued  so  far  as  possible  its  monthly 
meetings  till  about  the  year  1877  or  '78,  when  it  was  decided  to 
adopt  Clyde  as  the  place  of  holding  three  of  the  meetings  in 
each  year,  while  two  others  would  be  held  at  the  place  of  the 
regular  meetings  of  the  Presbytery  and  just  before  the  meet- 
ing of  the  body  for  its  regular  and  stated  duties.  These  two 
meetings  were  to  be  open  to  the  public. 

The  meetings  in  Clyde  were  held  in  the  private  parlor  of  the 
Nichols  House,  at  which  house  special  arrangements  were  made 
for  all  present  to  take  dinner. 

These  meetings,  both  at  the  Nichols  House  and  at  the  places 
where  Presbytery  met,  were  full  of  interest  and  profit. 

But  about  the  year  1883  some  marked  changes  were  made  in 
the  Presbytery.  Some  of  the  older  members,  M'ho  had  always 
been  faithful  in  attendance  and  greatly  helpful,  removed  to 
other  fields,  and  several  others  had  their  time  so  much  beyond 
their  own  control  that  they  could  only  attend  occasionally. 

The  result  was  that  the  "  Ministers'  Meeting,"  organized  in 
1837  and  faithfulh^  kept  alive  so  long,  and  so  fruitful  of  help 
and  of  blessings  to  so  many,  was  allowed  to  die,  with  no  one 
to  see  it  expire  and  no  one  to  tell  exactly  when  or  how,  save 
that  it  was  in  the  year  1883. 


SUMMARY.  327 

XIV.    SUMMARY. 

There  have  been,  from  the  organization  of  this  body,  in  1823, 
till  this  year,  1892,  about  sixty  churches  on  its  roll.  A  number 
of  these  now  belong  to  Congregational  Associations.  Some  fell 
to  the  Presbytery  of  Cleveland,  others  to  that  of  Maumee,  and 
a  very  few  have  ceased  to  be.  There  have  also  been  upon  the 
roll,  from  first  to  last,  the  names  of  174  ministers  who  have 
been  members  of  this  Presbytery.  Some  of  these  have  remained 
but  a  short  time.  The  pastorates,  as  a  rule,  have  not  been  long. 
A  few  names,  however,  have  continued  for  a  series  of  years  to 
grace  the  roll,  as  passage  has  been  made  from  one  pastorate  to 
another  within  the  presbyterial  bounds.  This  was  especially 
the  case  with  the  name  of  "  Father  Conger,"  who  was  a  member 
of  the  body  from  1825  to  1872,  and  whose  effective  labors  were 
in  a  number  of  the  churches. 

Several  of  the  pastorates,  too,  have  been  exceptionally  long 
— as  those  of  Dr.  Newton,  Dr.  Bushnell,  and  Rev.  J.  H.  Walter. 
These  were  thirty-five,  twenty-five,  and  twenty-seven  years, 
respectively. 

The  longest  now  existing  pastorate  in  the  Presbytery  is  that 
of  Dr.  Bigger,  over  the  Tiffin  church,  which  is  just  fairly  started 
upon  its  fifteenth  year. 

At  present  there  are  but  two  ministers  remaining  whose 
names  were  on  the  roll  at  the  time  of  the  Reunion.  These  are 
Rev.  W.  T.  Hart,  who  was  a  member  before  the  Reunion,  and 
Dr.  R.  B.  Moore,  who  came  in  with  the  reconstruction  of  the 
Presbytery  following  that  event. 

Of  the  ministers  who  have  constituted  this  body  from  1823 
to  1892,  thirty-five  have  become  members  by  ordination ;  the 
others  came  by  letter  from  other  presbyteries  or  from  associ- 
ations. In  all  these  sixty-nine  years,  only  nineteen  deaths  of 
ministers  have  occurred  while  they  were  in  connection  with 
this  Presbytery ;  of  these,  a  goodly  number  found  death  in 
other  parts  of  the  world. 

In  the  deliberations  of  this  body  of  ministers  and  elders  we 


328  HISTORY  OF  HURON  PRESBYTERY. 

find  that  almost  every  great  moral  and  religious  question  that 
affects  the  Church,  the  home,  the  nation,  or  the  world  lias  been 
under  consideration  and  has  been  made  the  subject  of  earnest 
resolutions  and  of  prayers. 


AS  IT  NOW  STANDS. 

At  its  last  meeting,  September  14,  1892,  the  Presbytery  dis- 
missed Rev.  Henry  Gardner  to  the  Presbytery  of  i\Iuncie  that 
he  might  accept  a  call  extended  him  to  the  church  of  Kokomo, 
Ind.;  Rev.  Charles  R.  Compton  to  the  Presbytery  of  Hastings, 
he  being  called  to  Minden,  Neb.;  Rev.  Wm.  Smith  to  Wooster 
Presbytery,  as  he  is  serving  the  church  of  Lexington,  Ohio ; 
Rev.  Daniel  E.  Bierce  to  the  Presbytery  of  Cincinnati,  and 
Licentiate  Charles  Williams  to  the  Presbytery  of  Sioux  City. 

The  body  now  stands  with  11  ministers,  one  licentiate,  Fred. 
H.  Gushing ,  21  churches,  2502  communicants,  2457  Sabbath- 
school  pupils ;  with  calls  extended  from  two  of  the  churches, 
Sandusky  and  Green  Spring,  to  two  ministers,  now  awaiting 
acceptance ;  and  with  four  of  the  churches  at  present  served 
by  ministers  or  licentiates  who  have  not  yet  become  members 
of  Huron  Presbytery. 


PART  II. 

HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCHES. 

THE  PERU  CHUECH. 

The  following  facts  regarding  this  church  are  taken  from 
"  The  History  of  Huron  County,"  the  account  of  the  church 
written  by  Rev.  E.  Conger  in  1852,  and  from  statements  pre- 
pared by  Mr.  Minor  Lawrence  in  1888. 

FIRST    SETTLERS. 

The  first  white  settlers  in  Peru  Township,  Huron  County, 
were  Elihu  Clary,  Henry  Adams,  and  Wm.  Smith,  who  together 
reached  the  township  on  the  15th  of  June,  1815.  Clary  and 
Smith  were  from  Deerfield,  Mass.,  and  came  all  the  way  on  foot. 
Adams  was  from  Marlborough,  Vermont.  On  the  23d  of  Octo- 
ber the  wife  of  Clary  came  to  him,  and  was  the  first  white 
woman  to  set  up  a  home  in  this  section.  On  November  6, 
1817,  Elijah  Clary,  the  father  of  Elihu,  arrived  with  his  wife 
and  family  in  Peru.  During  the  same  week  Major  Guthrie  and 
family  settled  in  Bronson. 

FIRST   RELIGIOUS   MEETING. 

The  families  of  Elijah  Clary  and  Major  Guthrie  soon  became 
acquainted,  and  in  the  course  of  the  next  week  after  their 
arrival,  they  decided  to  hold  a  "  reading  service  "  on  the  Sab- 
bath following. 

This,  the  first  religious  service  in  the  township,  was  held  in 
November,  1817,  in  the  house  of  Elijah  Clary. 

Such  services  were  continued  on  the  Sabbaths  through  the 
winter,  being  held  at  the  houses  of  the  settlers. 

329 


330  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCHES. 

The  first  minister  who  preached  to  this  people  was  the  Rev. 
Alvan  Coe,  who  in  the  winter  of  1817-18  preached  the  first  ser- 
mon in  the  township. 

CHURCH    ORGANIZED. 

On  the  18th  of  the  following  April,  1818,  the  church  of  Peru 
was  organized.  It  was  formed  under  the  auspices  of  the  Grand 
River  Presbytery,  and  upon  the  Confession  of  Faith  and  Cove- 
nant of  that  body.  The  ministers  who  officiated  in  the  organi- 
zation were  Rev.  Alvan  Coe  and  Rev.  William  Williams,  mis- 
sionaries of  the  Connecticut  ^lissionary  Society,  operating, 
however,  with  the  Grand  River  Presbytery. 

The  meeting  was  held  at  a  schoolhouse  near  the  Widow 
Fay's,  in  Ridgefield,  about  three  miles  north  of  the  village  of 
Peru.  The  names  of  the  following  six  members  were  enrolled : 
Deacon  Ezra  Strong,  of  Ridgefield ;  Elijah  Clary  and  wife,  of 
Peru  ;  Ezra  Herrick  and  wife  and  Simeon  Ammerman,  of  Bron- 
son.  No  officers  were  elected  for  the  church  at  the  time  of  its 
organization  except  a  moderator,,  Elijah  Clary,  and  a  clerk, 
Ezra  Strong.  The  name  adopted  was  "  The  First  Presbyterian 
Church  of  Peru."  The  first  trustees,  elected  under  "  An  Act 
for  the  incorporation  of  religious  societies,"  were  chosen  at  a 
meeting  held  for  that  purpose  on  the  20th  of  September,  1821. 
On  the  first  of  March,  1828,  not  a  body  of  elders,  but  a  "  Stand- 
ing Committee, "  was  chosen,  as  follows  :  Elijah  Clary,  Nathan 
Sutliff,  and  Solomon  A^anguilder.  Elijah  Clary  and  James  Van- 
tine  were  chosen  deacons.  The  church  was  formed  on  the 
"  accommodation  plan  "  of  government,  being  mainly  Congre- 
gational in  its  constituency.  It  was  connected  with  the  Pres- 
bytery and  was  represented  by  Standing  Committee  delegates. 

PLACES   OF   MEETING. 

The  meetings  were  first  held  in  the  log  cabin  of  Harry  0. 
Sheldon,  who  had  been  chosen  clerk  of  the  society,  not  of  the 
church,  of  which  he  was  not  then  a  member.  He  subsequently 
was  instrumental  in  raising  funds  and  in  having  a  church 


THE  PERU  CHURCH.  331 

building  erected,  made  of  hewn  logs.  It  was  erected  on  the  line 
between  Peru  and  Bronson,  where  the  old  cemeter}^  now  is. 

Mr.  Sheldon  afterward  "  received  more  light,"  and  became  a 
Methodist  minister.  The  present  church  edifice  was  built  in  the 
summer  of  1835,  cost  about  $2000,  and  w^as  dedicated  in  Janu- 
ary, 1836. 

MINISTERS    AND    GEOWTH. 

The  church  had  no  regular  preaching  until  the  autumn  of 
1824.  It  had  occasional  supplies,  and  was  for  a  time  served  by- 
Rev.  James  Mclntire,  a  local  Methodist  minister.  In  the  fall 
of  1824  John  Beach,  a  licentiate  of  the  Presbytery  of  Otsego, 
New  York,  began  to  preach  for  this  people,  and  on  July  25, 
1827,  he  was  ordained  and  installed  pastor,  and  continued  in 
this  relation  until  August  18,  1829. 

From  this  time  until  the  close  of  1833  the  church  had  only 
occasional  preaching.  During  the  year  1834  they  Avere  sup- 
plied by  Rev.  Samuel  Dunton.  In  1835  Rev.  E.  P.  Salmon 
commenced  laboring  here,  and  continued  for  three  or  four 
years. 

Rev.  S.  Stephens  began  to  preach  July  13,  1839,  and  con- 
tinued two  years.  Rev.  E.  P.  Sperry  was  installed  pastor  June 
28,  1842,  and  continued  to  officiate  one-half  of  his  time  for 
three  and  a  half  years.  On  the  6th  of  October,  1847,  Rev.  J, 
M.  Hayes  was  installed  pastor,  to  labor  one-half  his  time.  He 
was  dismissed  September  3,  1851,  to  open  and  take  charge  of 
the  Norwalk  Female  Seminary.  He  had  closed  his  work,  how- 
ever, as  pastor  of  the  church  in  March  preceding,  at  which 
time  Rev.  E.  Conger  began  to  supjDly  the  pulpit  one-half  of  his 
time.     He  continued  until  the  summer  of  1855. 

Very  soon  after  Rev.  .John  McCutchen  assumed  the  charge, 
and  labored  in  this  field  until  the  summer  of  1860.  The  Rev. 
John  D.  McCord  followed  in  May,  1861.  He  was  ordained  and 
installed  pastor  September  16,  1862,  and  was  released  from  the 
pastoral  relation  in  April,  1865.  Then  came  Rev.  Hubbard 
Lawrence,  who  served  the  church  from  April,  1865,  till  April, 
1868.     Rev.  T.  D.  Bartholomew  became  stated  supply  in  the 


332  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCHES. 

autumn  of  1869,  and  continued  till  February,  1 878.  Rev.  A. 
Cone  followed,  from  March,  1878,  to  March,  1881.  Rev.  T.  C. 
Thomas  came  next,  and  supplied  this  pulpit  from  January,  1882, 
until  October,  1885.  Then,  after  nearly  two  years  of  heterogene- 
ous supply  by  twelve  different  persons,  James  P.  O'Brien,  a 
student  of  the  Oberlin  Seminary,  commenced  to  preach  in  the 
summer  of  1887  for  this  church  and  that  of  Olena,  which  two 
churches  have  for  many  years  been  united  in  the  same  minister- 
ial charge.  His  services  permanently  were  desired.  He  was  ex- 
amined b}''  the  Presbytery  on  the  19th  of  September  and  taken 
under  its  care  as  a  candidate  for  the  ministry.  On  the  31st  of 
October,  having  passed  all  of  his  examinations  and  trial  exer- 
cises satisfactorily^  he  was  licensed  to  preach,  then  ordained 
and  installed  pastor  of  the  two  churches,  and  continued  to 
September,  1890,  to  be  their  acceptable  and  successful  minister. 
Since  his  retirement  this  field  has  had  occasional  supplies. 
They  are  now  supplied  by  an  Oberlin  student,  S.  M.  Beard. 

During  the  ministry  of  Mr.  Salmon,  1835  to  1839,  the  church 
was  filled  with  divisions.  A  large  portion  of  the  membership 
j^  withdrew  to  the  Congregational  church  in  Bronson,  then  also 
under  Mr.  Salmon's  care.  After  this,  as  the  result  of  removals 
and  deaths,  so  weak  was  it  that  Rev.  E.  Conger  exclaimed : 
"  By  whom  shall  Jacob  arise  ?  for  he  is  small."  This  Jacob  has 
experienced  much  of  discouragement,  yet  there  remain  some 
earnest  men  and  women,  and  they  are  not  without  hope  that 
he  shall  one  day  arise.  The  good  women  have  had  their  mis- 
sionary Society. 

Up  to  1872-73  this  congregation  had  experienced  occasional 
refreshings,  but  no  extensive  revival.  In  the  spring  of  1873, 
however,  sixteen  names  were  added  to  the  roll  of  its  communi- 
cants, the  result  of  union  meetings  in  the  several  churches. 
This  was  the  extension  of  the  revival  spirit  then  working  in 
Norwalk.  The  meetings  in  Peru  were  conducted  mainly  by 
men  from  Norwalk. 


MILAN  CHURCH.  333 

SABBATH-SCHOOL    AND    ELDERSHIP. 

The  Sabbath-school  was  organized  in  1832.  Minor  Lawrence 
was  the  first  superintendent,  and  Timothy  Lawrence,  George 
RancUfFe,  George  Lawrence,  and  Rev.  E.  Conger  have  filled  this 
office.  For  some  years  the  school  has  been  in  union  with  that 
of  the  M.  E.  Church. 

Through  most  of  its  history  this  church  has  been  mainly 
Congregational  in  its  government.  It  finally,  some  years  after 
"  the  Reunion,"  decided  to  be  Presbyterian,  and  still  belong  to 
the  Presbytery,  It  then  elected  three  elders,  who  still  consti- 
tute the  session,  George  Lawrence,  now  aged  eighty -seven,  C.  0 . 
H.  Perry,  and  Minor  Lawrence. 

MISSIONARY. 

The  Woman's  Home  and  Foreign  Missionary  Society  of  the 
Peru  Church  was  formed  in  1878.  The  officers  then  were: 
Mrs.  Calista  Lawrence,  President,  Mrs.  George  Lawrence,  Vice- 
President,  Miss  Nellie  Woodruff,  Secretary,  and  Miss  L.  Sutliff, 
Treasurer.  The  present  officers  are :  Mrs.  C.  Lawrence,  Presi- 
dent, Mrs.  H.  Lawrence,  Secretary,  and  Miss  L.  Sutliff,  Treas- 
urer. 

MILAN  CHURCH. 

On  the  25th  of  April,  1868,  very  interesting  services  were 
held  in  the  Presbyterian  church  of  Milan  in  celebration  of  the 
fiftieth  anniversary  of  the  organization  of  the  church. 

On  this  occasion  Rev.  J.  H.  Walter,  then  the  pastor,  delivered 
a  historical  discourse.  From  this  discourse  most  of  the  facts 
are  taken  which  are  here  recorded,  bearing  on  the  history  of 
this  church  to  that  date.  They  are  given  in  Mr.  AValter's  own 
words.  He  gathered  his  facts  largely  from  a  manuscript  left 
by  Rev.  E.  Judson. 

EARLY  HISTORY  OP  THE  PLACE. 

Milan  was  originally  an  Indian  village.  From  the  earliest 
recollections  of  white  settlers  the  valley  of  Huron  River  was  a 
favorite  region  with  several  of  the  Indian  tribes,  chiefly  the 


+ 


334  lIISTOliY  OF  THE  CHUliCHES. 

Delawares  and  the  Ottawas,  tlie  fertile  lands  and  hunting 
grounds  abounding  in  game  inviting  them  liither. 

The  Indian  settlements  extended  up  and  down  the  river  for 
several  miles.  In  the  latter  part  of  the  last  century,  about 
1787,  the  Moravian  Church  began  a  mission  among  these 
Indians  and  called  it  New  Salem,  afterward  known  as  the 
Abbott  Settlement.  This  mission  was  probably  a  branch  of 
the  one  on  the  Muskingum  River,  and  consisted  of  a  band  of 
Christian  Indians  and  their  missionary,  Tiesberger,  who  had 
been  driven  from  place  to  place  through  the  persecution  of 
the  wdiites.  They  w^ere  compelled  to  leave  this  spot,  however, 
through  the  hostility  of  the  pagan  Indians,  and  removed  to 
the  vicinity  of  the  Thames  River  in  Canada. 

In  the  year  1804  a  portion  of  these  Indians,  under  the  mis- 
sionary. Rev.  Christian  Frederick  Dencke,  emigrated  hither, 
and  settled  on  the  spot  where  ]\Iilan  now  stands,  and  named 
the  town  Pequotting. 

At  the  time  of  the  survey  of  the  fire-lands,  in  1807,  consid- 
erable progress  had  been  made  in  the  missionary  work.  The 
whole  number  of  dwellings,  as  seen  by  the  earliest  letters,  was 
sixteen.  The  house  of  the  chief,  whose  English  name  was 
David,  stood  on  the  lot  occupied  in  1868  by  the  residence  of 
]\Ir.  J.  F.  Adams.  This  house  was  afterward  a  shelter  for  some 
of  the  earlier  white  inhabitants  until  better  houses  could  be 
constructed.  A  little  to  the  south  was  the  house  of  the  mis- 
sionary, and  west  of  this  w^as  the  chapel,  surmounted  by  a  bell. 
The  Presbyterian  church  was  afterward  built  upon  these 
grounds.  The  missionary.  Rev.  Mr.  Dencke,  w^as  a  native  of 
Iceland,  where  his  father  also  was  a  missionary.  He  is  de- 
scribed as  a  man  of  great  kindness  and  hospitality,  possessing, 
also,  more  than  an  ordinary  culture,  and  being  a  lover  of  books, 
as  is  evident  from  the  fact  of  his  large  library,  which  occupied 
a  space  ten  feet  in  length  by  six  in  height.  These  books  must 
have  been  transported  on  horseback  through  the  wilderness, 
showing  the  sacrifice  made  to  secure  access  to  such  stores  of 
knowledge  as  the  missionary  needed  in  his  work. 


3IILAN  CHUBCH.  '  335 

Between  the  years  1807  and  1809,  in  consequence  of  the 
settlement  of  the  fire-lands  by  the  whites,  a  part  of  these 
Indians  returned  with  their  missionary  to  Canada.  Of  their 
subsequent  history  we  have  no  knowledge. 

AFTER    THE    MORAVIANS. 

For  several  years  after  the  abandonment  of  the  Moravian 
Mission  there  was  occasional  preaching  at  private  houses  and 
in  barns.  Rev.  Milton  Badger,  of  the  Presbyterian  Church, 
preached  at  times  in  the  Abbott  Settlement,  and  was  chaplain 
at  Fort  Avery,  in  that  settlement,  during  the  War  of  1812. 

After  the  war  the  number  of  inhabitants  increased  more 
rapidly,  and  among  them  were  those  prepared  to  form  relig- 
ious organizations.  Like  the  New  England  fathers,  their 
descendants  regarded  religion  and  education  of  the  first 
importance,  and  as  soon  as  possible  erected  the  sanctuary  and 
the  school-house. 

In  1816  a  Methodist  class  was  formed  in  the  Jeffrey  neigh- 
borhood, of  which  Mr.  Thomas  Jeffrey  was  the  leader.  The 
Methodist  church,  however,  was  not  organized  till  1830.  In 
the  same  year,  1816,  William  Sj^ears,  Esq.,  came  into  the  town- 
ship, and  soon  other  j^rofessors  of  religion  of  kindred  faith 
were  found  to  organize  a  church. 

CHURCH    ORGANIZED. 

On  the  25th  of  April,  1818,  the  church  was  organized  in  a 
log-house  at  Spear's  Corners,  about  two  miles  north  of  Milan. 
It  was  called"  the  First  Congregational  Church  of  Huron." 

The  ministers  presiding  upon  the  occasion  were  the  same 
two  who  had,  just  one  week  previously,  organized  the  church  at 
Peru,  Rev.  AVm.  Williams  and  Rev.  Alvan  Coe,  representatives 
of  the  Connecticut  Missionary  Society  and  of  the  Grand  River 
Presbytery.  Mr.  AVilliams  preached  a  sermon  at  the  time. 
The  names  of  the  persons  who  constituted  the  organization 
were  William  Spears  and  his  wife,  Love ;  Gilbert  Sexton  and 
his  wife,  Deborah ;  William  Adams  and  his  mother,  Eleanor. 


336  HISTOJiY  OF  THE  CHURCHES. 

On  the  following  day,  Sabbath,  they  repaired  to  the  house 
of  Mrs.  Parthena  Smith,  who  was  unable  to  be  present  at  the 
organization  through  ill  health,  and  there,  together  witli  rude 
surroundings,  these  ministers  and  people  united  in  the  solemn 
celebration  of  the  "  Lord's  Supper." 

ADDITIONS    AND    CHANGES. 

There  were  no  additions  to  the  church  until  January  10, 
1819,  when  the  following  persons  were  added,  viz :  Philo  Adams, 
long  a  useful  member  of  this  church  and  afterward  of  the 
church  of  Huron,  ever  active  and  beneficent  in  every  good 
work  ;  Lorena  Adams,  his  wife,  a  godly  woman  and  a  mother 
in  Israel ;  Seth  A.  Adams,  who  went  down  to  his  grave  peace- 
fully, "  in  a  full  age,  like  a  shock  of  corn  cometh  in  his  season  ; " 
Josiah  Smith,  Tliomas  Sexton,  Laura  Sales,  and  Polly  Denni- 
son.  Others  united  in  the  following  June,  and  among  them 
Lyman  Scott,  afterward  of  the  Presbyterian  church  of  Huron. 

Religious  services  were  held  by  the  church  every  Sabbath, 
alternately  at  the  house  of  Mr.  Spears  and  Mr.  Seth  A.  Adams, 
and  subsequently  at  the  school-house  built  in  the  neighborhood 
of  these  homes.  In  1823  the  church  removed  from  Spear's 
corner  to  Milan,  and  changed  its  name  to  "  the  First  Congrega- 
tional Church  of  Milan."  At  this  time  about  tw^enty  persons 
united  by  letter. 

In  1824  the  first  officers  of  the  church  were  appointed, 
consisting  of  two  deacons,  Henry  Buckingham  and  Joseph 
Demond. 

In  the  autumn  of  1818  the  Presbytery  of  Portage  was 
organized.  Under  its  care  the  church  of  Milan  w'as  taken, 
and  it  continued  in  this  relation  until  1823,  w^hen  the  Presby- 
tery of  Huron  was  constituted  and  the  church  came  under  its 
oversight. 

In  1825  the  church  changed  its  form  of  government  to  Pres- 
byterian and  chose  three  ruling  elders — Wm.  Spears,  w^ho  was 
regularly  ordained,  Joseph  Demond,  and  David  Everett,  who 
had  already  acted  as  elders  in  the  church  from  which  they 


MILAN  CHURCH.  337 

were  dismissed.  At  this  time  there  were  thirty-seven  members, 
nine  males  and  twenty-eight  females.  In  1830  the  form  of 
government  was  changed  back  again  to  Congregational,  which 
form  was  retained  until  after  the  reunion  of  the  Old  and  New 
School  Presbyterian  bodies,  when  in  due  course  of  time  the 
Presbyterian  form  was  again  adopted. 

After  the  removal  of  the  church  to  Milan  as  the  place  of 
worship,  meetings  were  held  in  a  school-house  which  stood  on 
a  lot  afterward  occupied  by  the  Eagle  Tavern,  and  subsequently 
in  "  The  Yellow  School-house,"  built  in  1S25  and  for  years  after 
used  for  public  instruction. 

Here  the  people  were  collected  by  the  sound  of  a  horn,  which 
Mr.  Giles  Chapin  blew  with  the  skill  of  a  Highland  huntsman. 
The  Yellow  School-house  was  used  as  the  place  of  worship 
until  1832,  when,  the  Huron  Institute  building  having  been 
completed,  it  began  to  be  used  for  that  purpose.  The  morning 
meetings  were  held  in  the  lower  room  of  this  building ;  the 
evening  meetings  were  still  held  for  some  time  in  the  school- 
house,  to  accommodate  persons  living  in  that  part  of  the 
village. 

In  1828  the  Legislature  of  Ohio  incorporated  the  "  First 
Presbyterian  Society  of  Milan,"  but  no  movement  was  made  to 
erect  a  church  building  until  1835,  when  a  few  citizens  con- 
vened at  the  suggestion  of  Mr.  N.  M.  Standart,  Esq.,  an  enter- 
prising citizen,  to  devise  measures  to  secure  this  object. 

The  result  was  the  completion,  in  two  years,  of  a  substantial 
house  of  worship  at  an  expense  of  about  $8000.  It  was  of 
brick,  and  continued  to  be  used  by  the  church  as  its  place  of 
worship  until  April,  1888.  In  1887  it  underwent  repairs  cost- 
ing about  $3000.  In  April,  1888,  it  was  burned.  Great  energy 
and  liberality  were  manifested  by  the  people  in  securing,  in 
1835-7,  such  a  sanctuary.  On  the  last  day  of  January,  1837, 
this  house  was  solemnly  dedicated  to  the  worship  of  the  Triune 
God.  For  some  years  afterward  the  church  was  greatly  pros- 
pered. 

22 


338  HISTORY  OF  THE   CHURCHES. 

MINISTERIAL    LABOR. 

Tlie  first  minister  who  labored  with  this  conirrcgation  was 
Rev.  Lot  B.  Sullivan,  who  preached  at  Spear's  Corners  and  in 
the  Adams  neighborhood.  His  ordination  took  place  in  a  barn 
in  the  township  of  Lyme,  Huron  Count3\  His  salary  wasS200. 
He  remained  only  during  the  year  1819. 

The  church  was  then  left  destitute  except  as  there  was  an 
occasional  supply  from  Portage  Presbytery.  The  Rev.  Messrs. 
Alvan  Coe,  Caleb  Pitkin,  J.  Seward,  Alfred  H.  Betts,  \Vm. 
Sanford,  and  J.  Treat  were  among  the  number  of  these. 

In  the  spring  of  1824  Rev.  Daniel  W.  Lathrop  spent  a  few 
weeks  with  the  church,  but  declined  an  urgent  invitation  to 
remain.  The  Rev.  Thomas  L.  Shipman  then  preached  a  year 
and  a  half.     To  him  the  people  became  strongly  attached. 

In  the  winter  of  1825-G  Rev.  Isaac  L.  Demund  spent  thirteen 
Sabbaths  in  preaching.  In  the  spring  following  Mr.  Demund's 
labors  the  church  resolved  to  sustain  service  regularly  on  the 
Sabbaths,  and  Mr.  Ralph  Lockwood  and  Mr.  Milton  Jennings 
were  appointed  to  select  suitable  discourses,  and  Mr.  Daniel 
Hamilton  and  Dr.  A.  B.  Harris  were  elected  to  read  them. 

In  the  autumn  of  1827  Rev.  W.  M.  Adams  began  his  labors 
and  continued  for  about  one  year. 

On  the  4th  of  October,  1829,  a  new  era  dawned  upon  this 
church,  and  a  time  of  unwonted  prosperity  began  through 
permanent  ministerial  labor.  On  that  day  Rev.  Everton  Judson 
preached  his  first  sermon  in  "  The  Yellow  School-house."  It 
was  a  day  long  to  be  remembered  by  the  people  of  Milan. 
Says  Mr.  Judson,  in  a  letter  to  a  friend  :  "  Although  it  was  a 
pleasant  day,  there  were  not  more  than  thirty  persons  present." 
"  But  these  thirty,"  says  his  biographer,  "  were  men  who  had 
understanding  of  the  times,  to  know  what  Israel  ought  to  do." 
Whatever  Mr.  Judson  may  have  appeared  to  be  outwardly, 
however  unattractive  to  some,  the  majority  of  his  hearers  were 
able  to  discern  in  him  a  man  of  no  ordinary  ability  as  a 
preacher.  They  wisely  urged  him  to  remain  among  them. 
His  hearers  steadily  increased,  so  that  in  January,  four  months 


MILAN  CHURCH,  339 

after  his  first  sermon,  tlie  congregation  was  multiplied  fourfold. 
The  number  of  families  at  this  time,  1830,  was  about  sixty, 
and  the  number  of  inhabitants  about  400.  Of  these  only 
twenty-five  or  thirty  were  professors  of  religion,  and  only  about 
twenty  were  Presbyterians,  showing  that  the  church  had  con- 
siderably decreased  during  the  five  years  previous. 

A  new  impulse  was  now  given  to  the  church  and  also  to  the 
place,  and  both  were  to  enjoy  uninterrupted  prosperity  for 
twenty  years.  Mr.  Judson's  biography  is  given  somewhat  fully 
in  the  foregoing  history  of  the  Presbytery.  He  was  a  man  of 
deep  spirituality  and  of  great  power  in  the  pulpit.  He  served 
the  Milan  church  as  stated  supply  until  May,  1837,  when  he 
felt  it  his  duty  to  be  installed  as  pastor,  which  was  then  done, 
and  he  sustained  this  relation  until  August  20,  1848,  when 
"  on  a  calm  summer  morning,  as  the  sun  had  newly  arisen 
upon  the  earth  in  his  brightness  and  glory,  ushering  in  another 
day  of  holy  Sabbath  rest,  without  a  struggle  or  a  groan  his 
spirit  passed  away  to  Him  who  gave  it."  His  labors  had  been 
so  constant  and  arduous  that  he  was  worn  out  before  old  a^e 
had  come  upon  him.  He  was  not  yet  fifty  when  he  died, 
having  served  this  people  for  nineteen  years.  A  number  of 
deeply  solemn  revivals  were  experienced  during  his  pastorate. 
At  his  death  the  membership  of  the  church  was  212. 

In  November,  1848,  Rev.  Newton  Barrett  was  installed  pas- 
tor, and  in  February,  1852,  at  his  own  request,  the  pastoral 
relation  was  dissolved. 

Rev.  J.  M.  Hayes  supplied  the  pulpit  from  April  to  October, 
1852,  when  Rev.  A.  Hartpence  became  stated  supply,  and  con- 
tinued for  nearly  three  years,  growing  in  the  affections  of  his 
people. 

In  May,  1855,  Rev.  J.  H.  Walter  began  his  labors  here.  He 
was  installed  pastor  October  7,  1856.  This  pastorate  was  the 
longest  the  church  of  Milan  has  yet  had.  It  was  one  of  the 
longest  in  the  history  of  the  Presbytery.  It  was  faithful  and 
earnest  and  successful.  Mr.  Walter  continued  to  minister  in 
Milan,  beloved  and  honored,  till  the   18th  of  October,  1882, 


340  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCHES. 

wlien  he  requested  the  dissolution  of  the  pastoral  relation,  after 
serving  this  people  for  twent3^-sevcn  and  a  half  years.  He  was, 
with  many  regrets  to  his  presbyterial  brethren,  dismissed  to 
the  Presbytery  of  Cincinnati  that  he  might  accept  a  call  to 
Pleasant  Ridge,  where  he  still  labors  for  the  Master. 

Soon  after  his  departure  llev.  W.  L.  Swan  began  to  supply 
the  pulpit.  He  M^as  received  by  the  Presbytery  on  the  11th  of 
April,  1883,  from  the  Presbyter}^  of  Steuben ville.  He  at  that 
time  accepted  a  call  to  become  pastor  of  the  Milan  church  and 
was  installed  on  the  12th  of  the  following  September.  He  con- 
tinued to  serve  the  congregation  happily  and  successfully  until 
the  10th  of  April,  1888,  when  he  asked  the  dissolution  of  the 
pastoral  relation  that  he  might  accept  a  call  to  the  church  at 
Warren,  Ohio.     He  left  reluctantly  and  greatly  beloved. 

He  had  scarcely  readied  Warren  when  the  sanctuary  at 
Milan  was  burned,  leaving  gloom  and  desolation. 

Yet  the  people  were  not  without  a  house  in  which  to  worship. 
While,  during  the  summer  of  1887,  the  congregation  were 
repairing  the  old  house  of  worship,  Mr.  J.  C.  Lockwood,  of 
Milan,  at  his  own  expense  wholly,  built  a  substantial  and  com- 
modious chapel,  of  brick,  with  stone  trimmings  and  slate  roof. 
The  cost  of  this  chapel  was  between  $3000  and  $4000.  When 
completed,  Mr.  Lockwood  presented  it,  as  a  gift,  to  the  Milan 
Presbyterian  church.  This  building  was  not  burned,  though 
standing  within  a  few  feet  of  the  other,  and  has  since  been 
used  for  all  the  church  services.  Since  then,  however,  a  fine 
new  house  of  worship  has  been  erected,  costing  over  $10,000. 
The  present  minister  is  the  Rev.  L.  M.  Kumler,  who  came,  in 
December,  1888,  from  Berwick,  Penna.,  and  is  serving  the 
church  as  its  stated  suppl3\ 

REVIVALS   AT   MILAN. 

This  church  has  been  blessed  with  many  seasons  of  religious 
interest,  with  some  revivals  of  more  than  usual  power,  and  with 
constant  additions.  This  was  especially  true  during  the  labors 
of  Mr.  Judson  and  of  Mr.  Walter.    During  the  pastorate  of  the 


MILAN  CHURCH.  341 

latter  tlie  two  most  extensive  revivals  in  the  history  of  the 
church  occurred. 

The  first  season  of  special  interest  was  in  the  winter  of  1830- 
31.  In  a  letter  to  Rev.  E.  Barber,  at  that  time,  Mr.  Judson 
wrote  :  "  Shall  I  tell  you  what  God  has  done  for  our  church  ? 
Seventeen  have  united  on  profession.  At  our  communion  in 
February  twelve  or  fifteen  more  will  come  forward."  There 
were  received,  in  fact,  during  that  year  forty-two.  It  was  a 
time  of  spiritual  refreshing  throughout  this  region. 

In  the  year  1833  there  was  more  than  ordinary  attention  to 
the  subject  of  religion.  The  occasion  was  one  of  those  afflictive 
providential  dispensations  in  a  household,  which  the  pastor 
was  so  well  able  to  improve,  and  which  resulted  in  the  addition 
of  twenty-one  persons  to  the  church  on  profession. 

Very  precious  are  the  memories  that  gather  round  the  "  Old 
Yellow  School-house"  as  connected  with  this  revival,  when  Mr. 
Judson  preached  in  demonstration  of  the  Spirit  and  of  power, 
and  every  heart  was  made  tender  under  the  convicting  influ- 
ence of  the  Holy  Spirit. 

The  beginning  of  the  year  1836  witnessed  another  revival. 
The  interest  began  among  the  students  of  Huron  Institute,  Mr. 
S.  C.  Hickok  and  the  pious  students  engaging  actively  in  the 
work.  Meetings  of  deep  interest  were  held  in  the  basement  of 
the  church,  where  the  congregation  had  just  began  to  worship, 
and  where  rough  boards  were  the  seats  for  the  hearers. 

Rev.  R.  Stone,  on  his  way  westward,  spent  two  weeks  in 
assisting  the  pastor,  who  at  that  time  was  in  feeble  health. 

As  the  result  of  this  interest  thirty-three  united  with  the 
church  at  one  time.  It  is  to  be  regretted  that  the  genuine  fruits 
of  this  revival  were  not  what  were  anticipated. 

Some  held  on  their  way,  and  proved  most  worthy  members, 
but  a  number  endured  only  for  a  while,  and  in  time  of  tempta- 
tion fell  away.  There  was  probably  more  than  usual  of  mere 
excitement.  The  measures  used  were  rather  awakening  than 
instructive  and  convincing.  Those  interested  embraced  a  num- 
ber of  the  class  who  had  little  previous  religious  instruction, 


342  HISTOEY  OF  THE   CHURCHES. 

and  some  were  ske})tical.  Besides,  they  were  received  into  the 
church  after  only  a  few  days  of  trial.  No  one  regretted  these 
results  more  than  the  pastor,  nor  did  any  one  profit  more  read- 
ily by  the  mistake.  Prudence  and  caution  are  the  lessons 
taught;  above  all,  that  it  is  a  dangerous  thing  to  imbibe  infidel 
sentiments.  It  is  stated  as  a  fact  concerning  those  referred  to 
that  not  one  wlio  had  previously  been  skeptical  persevered  in 
Christian  life. 

In  the  winter  of  1839-40  was  an  outpouring  of  the  Spirit, 
beginning  in  one  of  the  neighborhoods  where  the  pastor  was 
accustomed  to  preach.  The  revival  was  remarkable  for  the 
conversion  of  a  number  of  heads  of  families.  As  the  result 
twenty-four  were  added  to  the  church. 

In  tlie  fall  and  winter  of  1842-43  there  was  more  than  usual 
interest,  mostly  among  the  youth,  and  fourteen  were  received 
into  membership. 

Another  gracious  visitation  was  enjoyed  in  1846,  continuing 
throughout  the  year ;  the  fruits  were  twenty-four  additions. 
A  period  of  ten  years  then  elapsed,  in  w^iich  there  was  no  re- 
vival, though  there  were  additions  from  time  to  time. 

The  spring  of  1856  witnessed  a  gentle  descent  of  the  Spirit 
on  the  hearts  of  the  young.  The  spring  itself,  unfolding  bud 
and  flower,  was  a  beautiful  and  fitting  illustration  of  the  open- 
ing of  the  5'^outhful  heart  and  the  growth  of  the  seed  of  truth. 
Among  the  converts,  fourteen  in  number,  were  some  of  most 
lovely  character. 

In  the  years  1857-58,  when  the  great  revival  wave  swept 
over  the  land  and  reached  the  shores  of  Europe,  when  thou- 
sands were  converted  and  social  morning  prayer  arose  from 
every  city  and  almost  every  village,  the  blessed  influences 
reached  this  church,  and  through  daily  prayer-meetings  and 
personal  efforts  a  number  were  converted,  and  twenty-six  con- 
nected themselves  with  the  church.  That  extensive  and  glori- 
ous revival  throughout  our  borders  can  never  be  forgotten,  nor 
its  power  ever  measured. 

In  the  spring  of  18G1  God  again  poured  out  His  Spirit.    The 


MILAN  CHURCH.  343 

interest  was  mostly  among  the  young  ;  twenty  made  a  public 
profession. 

In  April,  1865,  the  Lord  came  suddenly  to  His  temple.  The 
revival  began  in  connection  with  the  annual  meeting  of  the 
Huron  Presbytery  in  this  place.  Much  prayer  had  been  offered 
during  the  winter,  and  much  work  was  done  in  urging  the 
claims  of  religion  on  the  impenitent.  Yet  no  signs  were  visi- 
ble of  the  coming  Messenger  ;  not  even  the  "  cloud  like  a  man's 
hand  "  could  be  discovered,  when  unexpectedly,  and  reproving 
our  unbelief,  there  was  "  the  sound  of  abundance  of  rain."  Like 
the  sudden  flashes  of  the  morning  sunbeams  in  an  Oriental 
clime,  which  in  a  moment  gild  every  mountain  top,  so  did  God 
arise  in  His  glory.  Within  a  week  as  many  as  a  hundred  were 
asking  the  solemn  question,  "  What  must  I  do  to  be  saved?'' 
Ninety  attended  the  inquiry  meeting  at  one  time. 

Through  the  efficient  labors  of  Rev.  D.  E.  Wells,  of  Monroe- 
ville,  who  will  long  be  remembered  by  many,  in  his  assistance 
to  the  jjastor,  through  the  active  labors  of  church  members  in 
securing  attendance  on  the  means  of  grace  and  in  personal 
conversation,  and  through  the  gentle  influence  of  the  Spirit,  a 
bountiful  harvest  was  gathered.  About  seventy  were  hopefully 
converted.  Fifty-five  were  received  into  membership  of  this 
church.  Some  united  elsewhere.  A  large  number  of  these 
converts  were  from  the  middle-aged,  and  a  majority  were 
females.  This  was,  perhaps,  the  most  extensive  and  powerful 
revival  experienced  in  the  history  of  the  church  of  Milan  until 
that  of  1872-73.  Up  to  the  year  1865  this  church  had  enjoyed 
ten  revival  seasons,  averaging  one  every  five  years. 

Besides  this,  there  were  conversions  and  additions  all  along 
its  history.  These  revivals  were  not  carried  on  by  protracted 
meetings,  except  in  two  or  three  instances  when  the  circum- 
stances seemed  to  demand  it.  The  measures  used  were  the 
ordinary  preaching  of  the  Word,  daily  prayer  meetings,  Sab- 
bath-school instruction  and  personal  labor,  showing  that 
every  church  has  the  means  within  herself  of  securing  her 
growth,  her  enlargement,  and  the  special  blessings  of  God. 


344  HISTORY  OF  THE   CHURCHES. 

The  revival  of  1872-3  was  one  of  tlie  most  powerful  that 
has  at  any  time  visited  this  churcli  or  community.  It  was 
first  manifest  in  connection  with  services  conducted  by  repre- 
sentatives of  the  Youn^^  Men's  Christian  Association  of  Cleve- 
land and  young  men  from  Norwalk.  A  wonderful  work  of 
grace  was  in  progress  in  Norwalk  at  the  time.  J'rom  that 
place  young  men  came  out  to  Milan.  The  church  was  ready 
for  a  blessing,  and  tlie  Lord  came  down  in  His  converting 
power.  The  community  was  greatly  moved,  and  scores  of  men 
and  women  were  brought  under  the  power  of  the  word  of 
truth.  God's  own  people  were  quickened  into  a  new  life. 
They  labored  unitedly  and  earnestly  for  the  glory  of  Christ 
and  the  salvation  of  those  about  them.  The  result  was  that 
the  Presbyterian  churcli  was  permitted  to  rejoice  in  the  addi- 
tion of  eighty  to  its  membership.  Other  churches  were  also 
increased. 

DOCTRINE    AND    GOVERNMENT. 

The  large  bod}^  of  members  of  this  church  were  originally 
from  New  England.  They  brought  with  them  the  New  Eng- 
land Calvinistic  theology  and  Congregational  ideas  of  churcli 
government.  The  church  adopted  the  Confession  of  Faith  and 
Covenant  recommended  by  the  Presbytery.  There  has  always 
been  in  it  a  considerable  proportion  of  Presbyterian  element, 
which,  of  course,  would  have  preferred  the  Presbyterian  polity. 

Yet,  while  the  majority  preferred  the  Congregational  form  of 
government,  the  church,  as  a  whole,  has  stood  firm  in  resisting 
the  encroachments  of  new  measures  and  of  skepticism,  and  in 
endeavoring  "  to  keep  the  unity  of  the  spirit  and  the  bonds  of 
peace,"  and  an  effort  has  been  kept  alive  to  accommodate  the 
desires  of  those  who  would  have  chosen  the  Presbyterian 
polity. 

The  Plan  of  Union,  while  in  force,  worked  well  in  the  church. 
The  church  always  stood  cheerfully  under  the  supervision  of 
the  Presbytery,  and  never  sought  to  sever  her  pleasant  rela- 
tions with  it.  In  due  time,  rejoicing  in  the  reunion  of  the 
two  branches  of  the  Presbyterian  famil}^,  she  remodeled  her 


MILAN  CHURCH.  345 

form  of  government  and  became  decidedly  Presbyterian. 
Like  the  Presbytery  itself,  this  church  has  aimed,  under  good 
and  efficient  leaders,  to  be  true  to  herself  and  to  the  conditions 
of  her  organization  and  her  environments. 

AGAINST    PRACTICAL    EVILS. 

The  Milan  church  took  decided  ground  in  its  early  history 
against  the  prevailing  evils  of  the  day.  On  the  subject  of 
Temperance,  in  the  year  1832,  the  following  resolution  was 
unanimously  adopted  :  "  That  all  persons  who  may  hereafter  be 
admitted  to  this  church  be  required  to  take  the  following 
pledge:  Believing  that  the  use  of  intoxicating  liquors  as  an 
article  of  drink  for  persons  in  health  is  not  only  unnecessary, 
but  injurious,  and  that  the  practice  is  the  cause  of  innumerable 
and  alarming  evils,  and  that  while  it  continues  these  evils  can 
never  be  prevented,  we  do  therefore  agree  and  pledge  our- 
selves that  we  will  not,  except  as  a  medicine  in  case  of  bodily 
hurt  or  sickness,  use  distilled  spirits  ourselves,  or  procure  them 
for  the  use  of  our  families,  or  provide  them  for  the  entertain- 
ment of  our  friends,  or  for  laborers  in  our  employ,  and  that  in 
all  suitable  ways  we  will  discountenance  the  drinking,  making, 
or  vending  of  them  in  the  community." 

Subsequently  intemperance  was  made  a  disciplinable  offense. 
It  has  been  the  practice  of  this  church  to  require  assent  to  the 
above  pledge  by  all  who  enter  into  covenant  with  it. 

On  the  subject  of  Sabbath  desecration,  particularly  traveling, 
visiting,  and  receiving  visits  on  that  day,  the  church  took 
decided  ground,  and  required  a  pledge  against  violating  the 
fourth  commandment  by  these  methods. 

On  the  subject  of  worldly  amusements,  it  was  held  "  that 
such  practices  by  young  people,  spending  the  time  which  God 
has  given  them  to  prepare  for  heaven,  is  an  abuse  of  that 
precious  time.  Moreover,  such  amusements  tend  to  lightness 
of  thought,  and  to  sear  the  mind  against  the  solemn  warnings 
and  kind  invitations  of  Our  Heavenly  Father,  and  the  con- 
sequences are  in  many  respects  bad." 


346  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCHES. 

SABBATH    SCHOOL. 

A  Sunday  school  was  begun  in  the  Adams  neigliborhood 
during  the  first  year  of  the  church's  histor}-.  Mrs.  Philo 
Adams  was  tlie  originator  and  superintendent.  The  school 
was  held  on  alternate  Sabbaths  at  Spear's  Corners,  and  in  the 
school-houses  after  they  were  built,  and  where  the  preaching 
service  was  also  held. 

During  the  time  of  the  pastorate  of  Mr.  Judson,  and  after, 
the  school  was  greatly  helped  in  its  interest  by  the  students  of 
the  Huron  Institute.  During  the  long  pastorate  of  Mr.  Walter 
he  himself  Avas  the  superintendent.  After  his  removal  Mr.  H. 
L.  Wilson  filled  this  position  for  six  years.  Mr.  Judson  Perin 
afterward  became  the  superintendent,  and  continues  to  fill  the 
office. 

THE    ELDERSHIP. 

When,  in  1877,  the  church  decided  to  be  a  Presbyterian  body 
the  following  elders  were  elected :  B.  Ashley,  P.  Comstock,  A. 
P.  Mowry,  L.  S.  Stowe,  J.  Wolverton,  and  Dr.  M.  Stewart.  A 
few  years  later  Dr.  P.  Gordon  was  chosen.  J.  Wolverton  died 
December,  1880,  and  in  January,  1881,  C.  Gwinn  was  chosen 
to  fill  the  vacancy.  Dr.  Stewart  died  in  June,  1883,  and  on 
January  5,  1884,  Addison  Mixter  was  elected  in  his  place.  Mr. 
Mixter  died  in  the  summer  of  1890,  and  Dr.  Gordon  in  April, 
1892.  The  present  elders  are :  P.  Com.stock,  L.  S.  Stowe,  C. 
Gwinn,  M.  Mixter,  and  William  Rosekell3^  For  many  years 
this  church  had  the  largest  number  of  communicants  of  all 
the  congregations  in  the  Presbytery.  Times  and  circumstances 
have  changed,  and  this  is  no  longer  the  case.  But  great 
streams  of  healthful  influence  have  gone  out  to  the  world  from 
the  Milan  church.  The  ladies  have  a  Union  Missionary 
Society  for  Home  and  Foreign  Missions. 


THE  3IELM0RE   CHURCH.  347 

THE  MELMORE  CHURCH. 

FIRST    PREACHING. 

In  the  month  of  February,  1828,  Rev.  James  Robinson  vis- 
ited the  townships  of  Bloom  and  Eden,  in  Seneca  County,  Ohio, 
and  found  a  number  of  Presbyterian  famihes,  who,  being  de- 
sirous to  have  preaching,  secured  the  services  of  Mr.  Robinson 
for  one-half  his  time  for  one  year,  agreeing  to  pay  him  a  salar}^ 
of  two  hundred  dollars.  Mr.  Robinson  entered  upon  his 
labors  about  the  1st  of  April  in  the  same  year. 

He  came  from  the  Presbytery  of  Columbus.  He  found  a 
stopping-place  in  Eden  Township,  at  the  home  of  Mr.  John 
Downs,  the  father  of  John  and  Lemuel  Downs,  who  now  live 
in  the  old  neighborhood  where  their  father  first  settled.  On 
the  18th  or  19th  of  April  Mr.  Robinson  preached  the  funeral 
sermon  for  Mrs.  Margaret  Homes,  who  had  died  on  the  17th. 
Mrs.  Homes  was  a  sister  of  Mr.  Arthur  Andrews,  a  man  be- 
loved and  honored,  and  for  many  years  an  elder  in  the  Eden 
church  in  Crawford  County. 

The  meetings  for  the  summer  were  held  on  a  camp-meeting 
ground  on  the  farm  of  a  Mr.  Tarvers,  a  mile  east  of  Melmore. 
A  communion  service  was  held  about  the  last  of  June  in  a  new 
barn  on  the  farm  of  Mr.  Cave  Brown.  Mr.  Robinson  was 
assisted  at  this  communion  by  Rev.  Robert  Lee,  of  Leesville. 
The  barn  was  yet  unfinished,  but  seats  were  made  for  the 
congregation,  and  a  table,  and  it  answered  the  purpose. 

There  was  at  this  time,  or  before,  a  temporary  organization  of 
a  church,  and  this  under  the  auspices  of  the  Richland  Presby- 
tery. Mr.  James  Boyd,  Mr.  John  Downs,  and  Mr.  William 
Patterson  were  chosen  elders.  Possibly  they  were  not  ordained. 
This  organization  was  afterward  for  some  reason  ignored,  pos- 
sibly because  it  was  only  a  temporary  arrangement,  possibly 
because  no  presbytery  had  authorized  it.  The  Presbytery  of 
Richland  no  longer  was  the  Presbytery  having  the  oversight 
of  the  church.  So  early  as  July  of  the  same  year  a  request 
was  presented  to  the  Presbytery  of  Huron  that  a  church  be 


348  HISTORY  OF   THE   CHURCHES. 

organized,  to  be  known  as  the  Presbyterian  Churcli  of  Mel- 
more.  The  request  was  granted,  and  Kev.  James  Robinson 
and  Rev.  E.  Conger  were  appointed  to  attend  to  the  duty  of 
organizing  tlic  cliurcli.  This  was  done  on  the  28tli  of  July. 
1828. 

Both  ministers  were  present,  and  fifteen  persons  were  found 
ready  to  unite  in  the  organization.  Their  names  were  enrolled 
after  due  process,  as  follows :  Samuel  Clark,  Sarah  Mathers, 
William  Campbell,  Catharine  Harper,  Mary  Campbell,  Mary 
Donald,  Thomas  Boyd,  James  Boyd,  Mary  Boyd,  Isabella  Boyd, 
Susan  Kinser,  Mary  Robinson,  Electa  Smith,  David  Clark,  and 
William  Patterson. 

Three  of  this  number,  Samuel  Clark,  David  Clark,  and 
William  Patterson,  were  elected  ruling  elders.  Their  ordina- 
tion and  installation  was  effected  on  the  loth  of  October 
following. 

PLACES    OF    WORSHIP. 

The  worship  was  conducted  in  different  places  for  several 
years.  In  1834  a  log  house,  called  the  Block  Church,  was 
erected  about  two  miles  south  of  Melmore,  at  the  corner  of  the 
farm  now  owned  by  Mr.  Solomon  Brundage,  and  w^here  there 
is  a  cemetery.  This  house  was  at  first  used  with  the  openings 
between  the  logs  unclosed,  and,  therefore,  with  plenty  of  fresh 
air,  giving  the  congregation  no  such  excuse  as  we  often  hear 
these  later  days  for  falling  asleep  during  sermon  in  poorly 
ventilated  sanctuaries. 

Sometimes  this  house  was  found  a  "  little  too  breezy,"  and 
ministers  and  others  in  various  waj'^s  sought  to  shut  out  the 
cold,  sometimes  using  an  extra  garment  or  robe  for  that 
purpose. 

This  log  house  served  as  the  place  of  w'orship,  in  connection 
with  the  Methodist  churcli  in  the  village,  which  was  sometimes 
occupied,  until,  finding  themselves  no  longer  welcome  to  the 
M.  E.  church,  and  wishing  a  house  in  the  village,  they  re- 
solved to  build.     The  brothers,  William  and  James  Stevens, 


THE  3IELM0RE  CHURCH.  349 

gave  the  ground,  and  during  the  summer  and  fall  of  1843  the 
frame  sanctuary  which  continues  to  accommodate  the  j^eople 
was  erected.  It  was  built  b}'^  energy  and  labor,  rather  than  the 
use  of  much  money,  and  still  bears  a  respectable  appearance. 
The  village  itself  is  beautiful  for  situation.  It  stands  on  a 
bluff  on  the  west  bank  of  Honey  Creek.  From  it,  and  from 
the  church,  one  may  look  out  upon  a  rich  and  beautiful  region 
of  countiy.  The  farms  about  it,  and  especially  those  that  lie 
near  the  creek,  are  attractive  for  their  undulating  surface  and 
for  the  wealth  of  their  products.  The  church  has  undergone 
repairs  at  several  different  times.  It  was  dedicated  on  the  24th 
of  January,  1844.  It  has  served  its  purpose  for  forty-eight 
years,  and  has  been  the  scene  of  many  tears  of  joy  and  the 
place  of  many  a  sorrowing  sigh.  A  goodly  number  of  those 
in  heaven  now  and  of  those  in  other  parts  of  the  land  can  say, 
"  There  was  I  born." 


MINISTERS    AND    THEIR    WORK. 

The  Rev.  James  Robinson  continued  to  preach  for  the  church 
of  which  he  was  the  father  for  about  five  years  and  three 
months,  during  which  time  the  roll  of  members  was  increased 
to  about  sixty-eight.  On  November  1,  1829,  seventeen  persons 
were  dismissed  from  this  church  to  form  an  organization  in 
Tiffin,  and  six  in  1832  to  form  a  church  at  Republic. 

Three  additional  elders  were  installed  during  Mr.  Robinson's 
ministry — Messrs.  James  Steel,  James  Boyd,  and  John  Downs. 

Rev.  John  McCutchen  succeeded  Mr.  Robinson  in  1834  and 
continued  for  about  three  years.  During  his  labors  there  was 
a  revival  of  God's  work,  and  souls  to  the  number  of  seventy- 
one  were  added  to  the  church.  Mr.  McCutchen  was  a  stentorian 
preacher  of  great  power  at  times.  The  persons  reached  during 
this  revival  were  not  merely  from  the  immediate  neighborhood 
of  Melmore,  but  from  the  regions  of  Bloomville  and  of  the 
Eden  church,  in  Crawford  Count3^  On  January  14,  1835, 
thirty -two  were  dismissed  to  form  the  church  of  Bloomville. 


350  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCHES. 

During  Mr.  ^fcCutchen's  term  of  .service  Mr.  Doddridge  Paul 
was  elected  and  ordained  an  elder. 

Mr.  McCutchen  was  succeeded  by  Rev.  Samuel  Dunton,  who 
began  his  ministry  here  in  the  early  part  of  the  year  1836  and 
continued  to  the  close  of  the  year  1841,  preaching  to  this  cliurch 
and  that  of  Tiffin  until  1840,  then  leaving  Tiffin  and  taking 
up  the  church  in  Bloomville.  During  his  labors  fifty-nine 
names  were  added  to  the  roll ;  and  on  the  20th  of  September, 
1839,  Mr.  Moses  Gibson  was  ordained  and  installed  an  elder. 

After  the  retiring  of  Mr.  Dunton,  in  1841,  the  church  re- 
mained for  about  two  years  without  a  regular  supply.  But  in 
February,  1843,  Rev.  John  N.  Whipple  began  to  preach  and 
labor  among  this  people,  which  he  continued  to  do  for  nearly 
three  years.  During  his  ministry  anotlier  interesting  revival 
prevailed  in  the  church,  and  there  were  added  to  its  numbers, 
previous  to  and  following  the  revivals,  fifty-eight  persons,  the 
largest  number  being  by  profession  of  faith.  This  revival 
seems  to  have  been  preceded  by  an  unusual  number  of  deaths 
in  the  community,  by  a  consequent  disposition  to  talk  about 
religion,  to  lament  the  coldness  of  the  church,  and  by  the  com- 
mencement of  the  weekly  prayer  meeting.  God  seems  to  have 
heard,  very  soon,  the  prayers  offered  and  to  have  blessed  the 
preaching  of  His  Word,  adding  at  the  time  about  forty  persons 
to  His  Church.  One  of  these  was  tlie  present  elder,  Mr.  R.  E. 
Steele.  Those  were  bright  days  for  His  people.  It  was  during 
the  labors  of  Mr.  Whipple  that  the  new  church,  the  house  now 
occupied  by  the  congregation  at  Melmore,  was  erected  and 
dedicated.  Previous  to  this,  the  place  of  worship  was  the  log 
house,  where  these  precious  revivals  occurred  and  where  God 
made  His  name  glorious. 

Mr.  Whipple  was  followed  by  Rev.  John  Steele,  who  was 
stated  supply  for  about  one  year,  an  excellent  man. 

In  December,  1845,  under  the  ministry  of  Mr.  Whipple,  Mr. 
James  Watson  and  Mr.  Joseph  Smith,  father  of  Mrs.  Solomon 
D.  Brundage,  were  elected  elders.  They  were  ordained  and 
installed  January  17,  1846,  and  on  the  7th  of  February,  1847, 


THE  MELMOBE  CHURCH.  351 

Mr.  Peter  Burkhart  was  also  ordained  and  installed  an  elder 
of  the  church. 

Rev.  Abner  D.  Chapman  became  pastor  in  the  early  part  of 
1848.  He  was  the  first  installed  pastor  of  this  church,  though 
he  was  not  installed  until  May,  1851,  when  he  was  made  the 
pastor  of  Melmore  and  Bloom  churches. 

During  his  term  of  service  a  very  unfortunate  and  unpro- 
pitious  state  of  things  existed  in  the  community  and  sadly 
affected  the  church.  It  was  produced  by  excitement  over 
Mesmerism.  Some  persons  were  carried  away  by  it  into  wild- 
ness  and  skepticism,  and  when  Mr.  Chapman  undertook  in  his 
preaching  to  stay  the  tide  of  evil  he  became  the  subject  of  bitter 
denunciation. 

He  was  constrained  to  close  his  pastorate  on  the  10th  of 
June,  1853.  Then  followed  three  years  of  vacancy,  of  God's 
frown,  of  the  low  state  of  religion,  and  of  great  discouragement 
to  the  lovers  of  Zion — sad  consequences  of  the  Mesmeric  ex- 
citement. 

But  on  the  20th  of  April,  1856,  Rev.  Enoch  Conger  took 
charge  of  this  field.  One  can  imagine  that,  with  this  good 
man  and  strong  preacher  in  the  pulpit  and  among  the  people, 
there  would  be  great  hope  in  the  hearts  of  some  of  God's  dear 
children.  His  labors  continued  until  March  30,  1862,  six  full 
years.  But  such  was  the  controversy  God  had  with  His 
Church,  such  the  low  state  of  religion,  that  he  had  only 
received  ten  persons  into  communion  in  all  that  time.  Mr. 
Conger  retired,  leaving  the  church  much  as  he  found  it,  not 
yet  recovered  from  the  blight  of  the  Mesmeric  craze.  It  con- 
tinued in  this  condition  for  four  sad  years  longer.  There  was 
great  religious  indifference  in  the  church  and  great  irregularity 
in  the  means  of  grace,  there  being  no  pastor  or  stated  supply. 
Indeed,  for  twelve  or  fifteen  years,  dating  from  about  1852,  the 
history  of  this  church  presents  but  little  sign  of  life,  and  hope 
could  not  have  been  very  bright  to  any.  Yet  all  these  years 
there  were  those  who  loved  the  Lord  and  were  beloved  by 
Him. 


352  HISTORY  OF   THE   CHURCHES. 

In  June,  18G4,  IJev.  II.  P.  Welton  visited  the  congregation 
and  preached  for  them  a  few  Sabbaths.  Tlien  came  that  dear 
Christian  brother,  in  answer  to  the  prayers  of  the  faithful,  to 
this,  his  first  charge,  Rev.  Wm.  M.  Newton. 

He  entered  upon  his  work  during  the  latter  part  of  the  year 
1865.  He  had  begun  preaching  a  little  earlier,  but  was 
ordained  September  6,  1865.  He  devoted  himself  earnestly 
to  his  work ;  and  in  answer  to  his  prayers  and  those  of  the 
people,  who  mourned  the  low  estate  of  Zion,  and  with  God's 
blessing  on  his  labors,  the  church  soon  began  to  spring  into 
new  life,  and  it  is  hoped  it  may  never  again  witness  such  days 
of  darkness.  During  the  ministry  of  this  brother,  which  con- 
tinued for  about  five  and  a  half  years,  there  was  evidence  of  no 
little  Christian  life.  The  church  was  again  united  and  harmon- 
ious, and  a  number  of  valuable  members  were  added.  There 
were  several  seasons  in  which,  in  connection  with  special  efforts, 
the  gentle  descent  of  the  Holy  Spirit  was  experienced,  and 
there  were  conversions.  The  additions  in  the  five  and  a  half 
years  numbered  sixty-one,  the  larger  part  being  on  profession 
of  faith.  On  the  8th  of  February,  1869,  R.  C.  Steele  was  set 
apart  to  the  eldership  by  ordination  and  installation. 

Mr.  Newton  resigned  this  charge  in  April,  1871,  going  to 
Missouri,  in  which  State  he  still  sets  forth  God's  truth.  During 
the  summer  following,  a  young  man.  Preserved  F.  Smith,  a 
student  of  Lane  Seminary,  and  now  one  of  the  professors  in 
that  institution,  preached  to  this  people. 

In  the  fall  of  1871  Rev.  S.  C.  Kerr  was  called  to  Bloomville 
and  Melmore  and  served  them  for  one  year.  He  was  followed 
in  the  winter  of  1872-3  by  Mr.  J.  J.  Hawk,  who  was  a  licentiate 
of  the  Presbytery  of  Kittanning,  and  who  was  received  into 
Huron  Presbytery  on  the  3d  of  June,  1873,  and,  after  the 
usual  examinations,  was  ordained  and  then  installed  over  the 
two  churches.  The  pastorate  continued  till  April,  1875.  On 
the  20th  of  April,  1874,  S.  D.  Brundage  was  ordained  to  the 
eldership.  In  June,  1875,  Rev.  R.  B.  Moore  became  the  stated 
supply  for  this  church,  alternating  between  this  and  that  of 


THE  3IELM0BE  CHURCH.  353 

Green  Spring.  During  his  first  year  there  were  nineteen  addi- 
tions to  the  membership,  some  of  them  proving  to  be  valuable 
additions ;  one  of  them  soon  after  became  a  worthy  elder  of  the 
church.  In  the  fall  of  1876  Mr.  Moore  gave  up  his  work  at 
Green  Spring  and  began  to  labor  in  McCutchensville  instead. 
The  church  at  Melmore  meanwhile  continued  to  prosper,  other 
additions  were  made,  and  by  the  fall  of  1877  it  was  supposed 
to  be  in  as  hopeful  a  state  as  it  had  ever  known.  Just  then  the 
enemy  entered  in  the  form  of  a  misunderstanding,  and  he 
continued  to  abide  with  energy  enough  to  prevent  any  further 
good  being  done  by  Mr.  Moore.  There  was  a  year  and  a  half 
of  fruitless  labor,  which  was  ended  by  a  resolution  of  the 
church  to  abandon  their  connection  with  McCutchensville, 
thus  giving  the  minister  to  understand  that  his  services  were 
no  longer  needed.  He  retired,  and  the  Melmore  and  Bloom- 
ville  churches,  again  coming  together  after  the  four  years  of 
separation,  had  a  somewhat  discouraging  history  for  several 
years.  They  were  served  for  a  time  by  the  Rev.  E.  J.  Boyd,  a 
most  excellent  and  able  minister.  But  he  decided  not  to  settle 
as  pastor.  He  left  the  field  in  the  spring  of  1880.  After  Mr. 
Boyd  came  Rev.  L.  B.  Lahr,  a  student  of  Heidelberg  Theolog- 
ical Seminary,  who  continued  to  preach  to  the  churches  for 
about  a  year. 

Following  him,  Rev.  W.  T.  Hart,  who  was  then  in  charge  of 
the  Congregational  church  of  Lyme,  was  invited  to  become  the 
stated  supply  of  these  congregations  in  the  summer  of  1881, 
He  accepted,  and  entered  upon  his  work  in  the  fall  of  that  year. 
On  the  8th  of  April,  1884,  he  was  installed  pastor.  Some  addi- 
tions were  made  to  both  churches,  and  the  pastorate  continued 
until  the  17th  of  May,  1886,  when  Mr.  Hart  was  released  to 
accept  a  call  to  the  church  of  Huron.  Mr.  Hart  is  one  of  the 
most  earnest  and  faithful  of  ministers,  yet  the  church  at  Mel- 
more remained  in  a  somewhat  discouraging  state.  Several  ot 
its  excellent  families  removed  elsewhere,  leaving  behind  a  sense 
of  financial  weakness.  In  consequence  of  the  felt  inability  to 
do  as  well  as  for  some  years  past  in  the  way  of  pastoral  sup- 

23 


354  HISTORY   OF  THE  CHURCHES. 

port,  the  church  continued  for  nearly  two  years  with  Httle  life 
or  hope.  It  became  dissevered  from  Bloomville  in  the  matter 
of  pastoral  supply  and  support,  and  was  connected  with  Mc- 
Cutchensville.  Both  of  these  latter  churches,  Melmore  and 
McCutchensville,  were  almost  entirely  without  preaching  from 
June,  1886,  to  March,  1888,  when  they  united  in  a  call  to  Rev. 
Wm.  Smith,  a  minister  of  the  Reformed  Church,  then  preaching 
in  the  region  of  Hillsboro,  Ohio,  to  become  their  pastor.  Mr. 
Smith  accepted  the  call,  entered  at  once  upon  his  work,  was 
received  into  the  Presbytery  April  10th,  and  on  April  20th  was 
installed  over  the  two  churches.  Prospects  again  brightened. 
The  pastor  made  his  home  in  Melmore,  the  w^eekly  prayer  meet- 
ings were  more  easily  kept  alive,  and  additions  w^ere  made  to 
the  number  of  communicants.  Mr.  Smith,  however,  recently 
resigned  these  charges,  and,  with  a  membership  about  what  it 
was  in  1888,  the  church  of  Melmore  now  looks  for  another 
minister. 

SABBATH  SCHOOL  AND  ELDERSHIP. 

The  Sabbath  school  was  organized  in  183G,  in  the  old  "  block 
church,"  with  Moses  C.  Gibson  as  first  superintendent.  Other 
superintendents  have  been :  James  M.  Stevens,  James  B.  Wat- 
son, John  DeLamater,  S.  D.  Brundage,  James  H.  Brinkerhoff, 
Wm.  P.  Steele,  and  J.  Smith  Brundage.  Wm.  P.  Steele  fills  this 
position  at  the  present  time. 

The  elders  have  been :  Samuel  Clarke,  David  Clarke,  Wm. 
Patterson,  James  Steele,  James  Boyd,  John  Downs,  Doddridge 
Paul,  M.  C.  Gibson,  James  Watson,  Joseph  Smith,  Peter  Burk- 
hart.  The  present  elders  are :  R.  C.  Steele,  S.  D.  Brundage,  and 
C.  P.  Bartleson — all  true  and  worthy  men. 

woman's  missionary  society. 

For  some  years  the  good  women  have  kept  up  a  Missionary 
Society  for  Home  and  Foreign  Missions.  The  president  now 
of  this  organization  is  Mrs.  Mary  Dana,  the  secretary  is  Miss 
Mary  Steele,  and  the  treasurer  is  Mrs.  Mattie  Ireland. 

Tliis   church   has   been   the    mother   of    the    Presbyterian 


THE  TIFFIN  CHURCH.  365 

churches  in  Seneca  County.  She  furnished  the  original  mem- 
bers for  three  others,  Tiffin,  Bloom,  and  Republic,  and  has  done 
much  for  others.  Of  her  own  original  members  the  last  one 
has  recently  gone  above,  Mrs.  Electa  Hunter,  one  of  the  earli- 
est school  teachers  in  the  count3\ 


THE  TIFFIN  CHURCH. 

The  following  facts  are  gathered  from  sermons  preached  by 
Rev.  Dr.  Bigger  and  Rev.  Dr.  Moore. 

FIRST    THINGS. 

To-day  Tiffin  is  a  thriving  city  of  over  twelve  thousand  souls. 
Her  homes  are  warmed  by  natural  gas,  and  her  increasing 
manufactories  are  run  by  the  same.  Her  streets,  and  many  of 
her  churches  and  business  houses  and  homes,  are  lighted  by 
electricity.  The  telephone  and  the  street  car  are  parts  of  her 
furniture. 

The  county  of  Seneca  is  one  of  the  most  prosperous  and  pro- 
ductive portions  of  Ohio.  The  farms  are  rich,  beautiful,  and 
w^ell  cultivated. 

Yet  it  is  not  more  than  seventy  years  since  the  first  log  cabin 
was  erected  by  a  white  man  on  the  site  of  Tiffin.  From  this 
has  grown  all  that  we  now  see  of  houses  and  churches  and 
business.  Then,  these  now  beautiful  lands  and  pleasant  abodes 
were  the  unbroken  wilderness,  the  home  of  the  red  man,  and 
the  realm  of  malaria.  But  with  cabin  here  and  rude  fort  there, 
the  beginning  was  made  for  a  great  change,  a  change  in  which 
the  State,  society,  business,  and  the  Church  of  Christ  have  all 
along  had  an  interest. 

FIRST    PRESBYTERIAN    MINISTER. 

Wild  was  yet  the  country  and  few  the  homes,  when,  in  the 
summer  of  1827,  there  came  a  traveler,  an  ambassador  for 
Christ,  to  look  up  such  as  bore  the  Presbyterian  name,  and  to 
do  for  them  and  the  Master  what  he  might  be  able. 


356  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCHES. 

He  was  a  man  of  medium  heiglit,  of  solid  build,  of  respect- 
able and  refined  appearance,  and  perhaps  about  forty-five 
years  of  age.  His  name  was  James  liobinson,  and  he  was 
doubtless  the  first  Presbyterian  minister  wlio  ever  preached 
the  Gospel  in  this  region.  He  visited  Melmore,  the  regions  of 
Republic  and  Bloomville,  and  went  to  Fort  Seneca,  where  he 
visited  Rev.  Mr.  Montgomery,  a  Methodist  minister,  and  in- 
quired of  him  concerning  Presbyterians.  Having  thus 
traversed  the  region,  he  was  requested  in  the  spring  of  1828  to 
preach  statedly,  at  the  four  places,  Melmore,  Tifiin,  Republic, 
and  Bloomville.  Thus  the  stated  preaching  of  the  Gospel  in 
Tiffin  by  a  Presbyterian  minister  began  in  the  summer  of 
1828. 

CHURCH   ORGANIZED. 

The  exact  date  of  the  first  organization  of  the  church  here  is 
unknown,  as  the  records  up  to  the  year  1852  were  lost.  The 
records  of  the  Presbytery  give  the  13th  of  February,  1830,  as 
the  date  when  the  church  was  formed,  sixteen  as  the  number  of 
original  members,  James  Robinson  as  the  person  who  organized 
it,  and  the  name  of  the  church  as  Presbyterian.  There  was, 
doubtless,  prior  to  this  a  temporary  organization. 

From  the  records  of  the  church  of  Melmore  we  learn  that 
on  the  1st  of  November,  1829,  seventeen  persons  were  dis- 
missed from  that  church  to  form  a  church  in  Tiffin.  These 
w^ere  not  united  in  organization  till  the  13th  of  February 
following,  which  is,  without  doubt,  the  date  of  the  permanent 
formation  of  the  Tiffin  church. 

PLACES   OF   MEETING. 

No  church  had  been  erected,  and  the  sanctuary  was  the 
homes  of  the  people.  At  times  services  were  held  in  a  build- 
ing erected  by  Mr.  Josiah  Hedges,  who  had  purchased  the 
ground  on  which  Tiffin  now  stands  at  the  land  sales  in  Dela- 
ware, Ohio,  in  1820.  The  building  of  Mr.  Hedges,  used  as  a 
church,  was  located  on  the  east  side  of  the  river,  and  opposite 
the  Court  House,  on  the  ground  now  occupied  by  the  office  of 


THE   TIFFIN  CHURCH.  357 

The  Seneca  Advertiser.  This  edifice  was  used  for  manifold 
purposes.  The  basement  was  used  as  a  jail,  the  first  story  as  a 
house  for  merchandise,  and  the  second  story  as  a  court-room 
during  the  week  and  as  a  church  on  Sabbath,  where  on  alter- 
nate Sabbaths  might  be  heard  the  dignified  Calvinist  and  the 
zealous  Arminian.  This  was  the  first  frame  building  erected 
in  the  country,  and  now  bides  its  time  at  the  mouth  of  Rock 
Creek. 

The  congregation  secured  a  charter  from  the  General  Assem- 
bly of  Ohio  in  1834.  The  charter  was  granted  to  "  the  First 
Presbyterian  Church  of  Tiffin,  Ohio,"  with  Milton  Jennings, 
Peter  Marsh,  and  Allen  Campbell  named  as  trustees. 

Still,  no  house  of  worship  was  immediately  erected.  For 
some  years  the  services  were  held  in  the  Protestant  Methodist 
church.  In  1842,  however,  Mr.  Josiah  Hedges  having  given 
the  congregation  a  suitable  lot,  they  decided  to  erect  a  sanctuary. 
The  edifice  was  finished  and  dedicated  in  the  fall  of  1845. 
This  house  was  located  on  Miami  Street,  near  the  river.  It  was 
a  pleasant  church  home,  costing  perhaps  about  $3000.  It  still 
stands,  having  been  transformed  in  1872  into  a  very  pleasant 
and  attractive  double  dwelling,  now  occupied  by  Mr.  F.  K. 
Holderman  and  Mr.  M.  Brundage. 

This  house  being  regarded  as  unfortunately  located  for 
the  congregation,  in  1870  the  ground  was  secured  and  the 
present  church  structure  was  erected  at  the  corner  of  Monroe 
and  Market  Streets,  on  the  east  side  of  the  river. 

This  house  has  undergone  improvement  since  the  present 
pastor.  Rev.  D.  D.  Bigger,  d.  d.,  entered  upon  his  labors,  and 
may  be  justly  said  to  be  both  commodious  and  pleasant. 

FIRST    PRESBYTERIAN    FAMILIES. 

The  first  families  belonging  to  this  church  were  those  of 
William  Hunter,  .John  Hunter,  Samuel  Hunter,  James  W.  G. 
McClure,  Milton  Jennings,  Peter  ]\Iarsh,  John  Young,  and 
Ezekiel  McPherson. 

Mr.  Robinson,  while  preaching  here  and  elsewhere  in  the 


368  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCHES. 

county,  had  his  liomc  in  Tiffin,  wliere  he  liad  huilt  a  house, 
which  yet  stands,  on  South  Washington  Street,  within  easy 
stone's  throw  of  the  Catholic  church. 

THE    MINISTRY — MR.    ROBINSON. 

It  is  related  of  Mr.  Robinson  that  his  sermons  were  usually 
two  hours  in  length.  The  people,  some  of  whom  went  from 
three  to  twenty  miles  to  hear  him,  wanted  quantity  as  well  as 
quality  of  Gospel.  However,  before  Mr.  Robinson  removed 
from  this  field  of  labor  he  most  sensibly  shortened  his  dis- 
courses. The  good  elders,  it  is  said,  remonstrated  at  the  inno- 
vation, saying,  "  Brother  Robinson,  we  think  your  sermons  are 
too  short."  "  But,  no,"  said  he  ;  "  if  a  guest  comes  to  your 
house  and  yon  surfeit  him  he  will  not  likely  come  again.  So 
with  my  sermons."  The  session  had  nothing  more  to  say.  Mr. 
Robinson  continued  to  preach  at  this  place  for  about  five  and 
a  half  years.  On  the  11th  of  September,  1833,  he  was  dis- 
missed from  the  Huron  Presbytery  to  that  of  Richland. 

Mr.  Robinson  was  succeeded  b}''  Rev.  John  McCutchen,  a  man 
with  a  stentorian  voice,  who  proclaimed  the  truth  fearlessly, 
and  sometimes  with  great  effect.  He  was  a  John  the  Baptist 
in  the  wilderness.  He  first  preached  as  a  licentiate  in  1834, 
was  ordained  in  1835,  and  supplied  the  Tiffin  church  for  several 
years  in  connection  with  the  churches  of  Melmore  and  Repub- 
lic. He  continued  to  preach  at  Republic  and  Bloomville  until 
1840. 

He  was  a  man  of  great  power  as  a  revivalist.  As  to  his 
success  in  Tiffin,  in  this  way,  not  so  much  is  now  known  as  in 
each  of  the  other  places  where  he  preached. 

He  was  followed  in  the  early  part  of  1836  by  the  Rev.  Samuel 
Dunton. 

How  long  Mr.  Dunton  continued  to  preach  in  Tiffin  is  not 
known,  yet  it  is  almost  certain  that  he  did  so  until  1840.  Dur- 
ing the  winter  of  1838-39  he  was  assisted  by  a  Rev.  H.  A. 
Reed,  an  evangelist,  when  a  number  were  added  to  the  church. 
The  Rev.  J.  N.  Whipple  did  some  service  in  this  church  in  the 


THE  TIFFIN  CHURCH.  359 

year  1841,  but  was  not  here  a  settled  minister.  His  services 
were  followed  by  those  of  the  Rev.  James  Campbell,  who 
assumed  the  charge  in  1842.  He  was  the  antipode  of  Rev. 
John  McCutchen  in  manner  and  style,  speaking  very  precisely 
and  with  marked  deliberation.  Every  word  uttered  was 
weighed  and  measured.  It  is  related  by  General  William  H. 
Gibson  and  others  that  during  the  progress  of  a  sermon  by  Mr. 
Campbell  one  sultry  Sabbath  morning,  in  the  illustration  of 
some  thought,  he  remarked  very  slowly,  "  Now,  there  is  a  house 
on  fire,"  pausing,  as  was  his  custom,  and  before  he  could  pro- 
ceed a  little  gentleman  by  the  name  of  W.  D.  Scott,  probably 
drowsy  and  nervous,  not  discerning  the  nature  of  the  remark, 
sprang  to  his  feet  and  shouted,  "  Where,  Mr.  Campbell  ? 
where?"  then,  running  to  the  street,  he  shouted,  "Fire! 
fire ! "  The  church  was  empty  in  a  moment,  and  it  was 
thought  the  figure  was  very  exciting,  however  misapplied  by 
the  hearers.  Mr.  Campbell,  after  about  two  years'  service,  was 
followed  by  the  Rev.  Franklin  Putnam,  who  was  the  stated 
supply  from  1844  to  1849.  He  was  a  man  of  excellent  spirit 
and  character.  It  was  during  his  term  of  service  that  the 
house  of  worship  was  erected  on  Miami  Street.  Mr.  Putnam 
retired  in  1849,  and  there  were  a  few  months  in  which  the  pul- 
pit was  supplied  by  appointments  of  Presbytery.  Then  came 
the  Rev.  R.  B.  Bement,  who  was  permitted  by  the  courtesy  of 
Huron  Presbyter}^  to  labor  within  its  bounds.  He  was  preach- 
ing in  Tiffin  in  the  year  1850,  and  through  his  instrumentality 
the  Tiffin  church  in  that  year  withdrew  from  the  New  to  the 
Old  School  Assembly.  There  was  no  little  dissatisfaction  in 
the  church  over  the  movement.  The  Presbytery  also  was  not 
pleased.  A  committee  was  directed  to  visit  and  counsel  with 
the  people  concerning  it.  They  found  the  matter,  however, 
already  decided,  and,  treating  all  parties  in  the  most  kindly 
manner,  they  permitted  them  to  go  to  the  Presbytery  of  Marion 
without  any  further  trouble  on  their  part.  They  advised  the 
minority,  who  were  opposed  to  the  action,  to  acquiesce  in  peace. 
This  was  doubtless  an  unfortunate  move  for  this  church  to 


360  HISTORY  OF  THE   CHURCHES. 

make.  It  left  it  in  a  somewhat  isolated  state  so  far  as  other 
Presbyterian  churclies  were  concerned,  and  also  under  the  dis- 
pleasure of  a  minority  of  its  former  adherents,  some  of  whom 
did  not  go  with  it.  The  sessional  records  up  to  1852  were  by 
some  means  lost.  The  records  in  preservation  begin  with  tliis 
year  and  with  the  ministry  of  Rev.  James  Pelan. 

Mr.  Pelan's  ministry  continued  for  about  three  years  and  was 
not,  on  the  whole,  a  fortunate  one.  He  served  this  congrega- 
tion in  connection  with  that  of  McCutchensville,  retiring  from 
both  in  1855.  After  ceasing  to  serve  the  church,  he  tried  some 
sort  of  book-selling  business  for  a  time,  remaining  in  Tiffin. 
He  eventually  left  the  place  and  went  South,  and  a  story,  quite 
generally  believed  to  be  true,  is  that  he  was  shot,  somewhere  in 
Texas,  by  some  one,  while  standing  in  the  door  of  his  own 
home. 

Then  came  Rev.  John  McLane,  who  succeeded  Mr.  Pelan  as 
supply  to  the  two  churches.  He  entered  upon  his  duties  May 
16,  1855,  and  continued  until  June,  1862.  In  May  of  the  latter 
year  he  represented  the  Presbytery  of  Western  Reserve,  to 
whose  care  the  church  of  Tiffin  then  belonged,  in  the  General 
Assembly.  He  returned  from  that  Assembly  to  enter  his  pulpit 
on  two  successive  Sabbaths,  when  he  was  taken  down  with 
typhoid  fever,  and  on  the  9th  of  June  was  called  to  the  General 
Assembly  of  the  saints  in  glory,  there  to  receive  the  praise, 
"  Well  done,  good  and  faithful  servant ;  enter  into  the  joy  of 
thy  Lord." 

This  was  the  first  time,  and  so  far  it  has  been  the  only  time, 
this  church  was  called  upon  to  drape  its  pulpit  in  the  suggest- 
ive weeds  of  grief  by  reason  of  the  death  of  its  minister. 

Mr.  McLane  w^as  a  man  tall  and  well-favored.  As  a  preacher 
he  was  plain,  Scriptural,  affectionate,  and  earnest.  Many  both 
admired  and  loved  him.  He  was  the  truest  type  of  man.  He 
was  esteemed  as  a  citizen  by  all  classes  of  people.  Other 
churches  held  him  in  the  highest  regard.  He  was  here  long 
enough  to  establish  himself  in  his  church  and  in  the  town,  as 
he  did   also   at   McCutchensville,  where   he   was  loved  as  a 


THE  TIFFIN  CHURCH.  361 

father,  as  one  of  the  most  noble  of  Christian  men.  His  influ- 
ence followed  him  for  years  after  his  departure.  He  left  an 
interesting  family,  a  wife,  four  daughters,  and  one  son,  to  deeply 
feel  his  loss  and  to  struggle  with  the  hardships  of  life  without 
the  fond  husband  and  father's  guiding  and  helping  hand.  The 
trial  was,  to  God  be  the  praise,  nobly  endured,  and  the  victory 
over  struggle  was  by  the  widow  and  her  children  bravely  won. 
Mrs.  McLane,  after  living  to  see  all  her  children  advanced 
beyond  the  years  of  maturity,  and  well-to-do  in  the  world,  was 
bidden,  on  the  20th  of  January,  1889,  to  follow  her  husband  to 
the  Land  of  Rest.  Her  form  now  rests  by  his  side  in  the  ceme- 
tery near  Tiffin. 

Two  months  after  Mr.  McLane's  death  Rev.  David  Swift 
Logan  responded  favorably  to  the  invitation  to  take  up  the 
sceptre  of  truth  fallen  from  the  lifeless  hand  of  the  death- 
stricken  ambassador  of  the  cross.  He  served  the  congregation 
faithfully  for  two  years,  resigning  the  13th  of  February,  1864. 
Mr.  Logan  did  not  feel  able  to  carry  on  the  work  at  McCut- 
chensville,  so  that  was  dropped  from  its  connection  with  Tiffin 
after  a  while.  He  also  felt  dissatisfied  with  the  location  of  the 
Tiffin  house  of  worship.  The  congregation  were  unable  and 
unwilling  to  secure  another.  Mr.  Logan,  at  his  own  motion, 
hired  a  hall  in  the  central  part  of  the  city,  and  for  some  time 
conducted  worship  there.  The  people  were  not  satisfied, 
although  there  could  be  no  reasonable  doubt  that  the  church 
was  badly  located.  Other  things  helped  to  discourage,  and  Mr. 
Logan  went  down  under  the  heavy  load.  I  (R.  B.  Moore)  wish, 
however,  to  say,  from  personal  acquaintance  with  him,  that  he 
was  one  of  the  most  conscientious  men  I  ever  knew\  I  have 
been  with  him  enough  to  get  some  knowledge  of  the  man,  and 
but  few  men  in  these  last  days  have  lived  who  were  more  pure 
and  self-sacrificing  than  he.  His  lot  was  cast  in  Tiffin  in  days 
when  the  country  was  in  trouble  and  when  men  were  often 
carried  blindly  b}'^  patriotic  impulse.  Mr.  Logan  was,  perhaps, 
too  prudent  and  too  conscientious  for  such  times.  Severe  and 
unjust  statements  were  made  of  him.     But  of  all  the  men  w^ho 


362  HISTORY  OF   THE  CHURCHES. 

have  preached  the  Gospel  in  Tiffin  up  to  date,  I  judge  I  am 
safe  in  saying  none  were  more  true  to  convictions  of  duty, 
none  more  godly,  upright,  or  loyal  to  country,  than  he.  Worn 
out  with  anxiety  and  disappointment,  he  went  down  to  an 
early  grave.  Let  these  few  withered  flowers  of  a  just  and 
loving  commendation  be  strewn  around  his  memory,  while  we 
cherish  the  conviction  that  on  the  resurrection  morning  he  will 
arise  among  the  brightest  and  best.  Mr.  Logan's  successor  was 
Rev.  J.  E.  Lapsley. 

In  the  montli  of  March,  1865,  Mr.  Lapsley  became  the  stated 
supply  of  this  church.  He  continued  until  the  7th  of  June, 
1800,  when  he  accepted  a  call  to  the  church  at  Mattoon,  111. 
His  stay  was  short,  but  his  work  was  good.  He  ranked  high 
as  a  preacher.  He  was  young,  vigorous,  and  bright.  God 
blessed  his  labors  here  with  an  outpouring  of  His  Spirit,  and 
within  a  year  over  fifty  were  added  to  the  church,  many  of 
whom  proved  useful  members.  During  his  stay  some  $1500 
were  spent  upon  the  old  sanctuary.  But  the  location  was  not 
satisfactory,  and  Mr.  Lapsley  felt  it.  It  was  not  the  place  for 
an  energetic  young  man  to  do  full  work.  He  accepted  the 
better  call.  In  a  few  short  years  he  made  several  changes  of 
location.  He  finally  reached  the  city  of  Baltimore,  Md., 
where  he  died  within  a  few  weeks  after  having  entered  upon 
his  work  in  one  of  the  churches  of  that  city.  Mr.  Lapsley  was 
the  last  of  the  stated  supplies  of  the  Tiffin  church.  No  pastor 
had  as  yet  been  installed.  A  system  of  more  permanent 
ministerial  sup})ly  began  when  Rev.  R.  B.  Moore  assumed  the 
charge. 

On  tlic  20th  of  February,  1 867,  Mr.  Moore  entered  upon  his 
work,  and  a  few  months  later  was  installed  pastor.  This  was 
the  first  pastorate  in  the  church.  The  relation  continued  until 
April  10,  1872.  At  that  time  the  elders  were  Joseph  Burnside, 
Thomas  AVatson,  Dr.  I.  L.  St.  John,  and  Robert  Lysle.  Dr. 
St.  John  resigned  his  office  in  the  early  part  of  1868.  Shortly 
afterward  Professor  S.  J.  Kirkwood,  who  was  then  the  accept- 
able and  successful  Superintendent  of  the  City  Schools,  was 


THE  TIFFIN  CHURCH.  363 

elected  to  this  position,  and,  accepting,  was  ordained  and  in- 
stalled. 

A  number  of  members  were  added  to  the  church  in  1867  by 
letter  and  on  profession ;  others  followed  in  186S.  But  the 
feeling  so  thoroughly  possessed  the  young  pastor  that  the 
church  could  not  easily  rise  above  the  difficulty  of  its  unfor- 
tunate location  that  he  resolved  to  test  the  willingness  of  the 
people  to  effect  a  change  of  base  by  seeking  a  new  location 
and  erecting  a  new  house  of  worship.  The  effected  reunion  of 
the  two  branches  of  the  Presbyterian  body  in  the  fall  of  1869 
was  deemed  a  suitable  occasion  to  make  the  effort. 

At  a  congregational  meeting  on  the  6th  of  December,  with 
Dr.  E.  J.  McCollum  in  the  chair,  the  minds  of  the  people  were 
found  to  be  ripe  for  the  move.  They  resolved  to  secure  a  suita- 
ble location  on  the  east  side  of  the  'Sandusky,  and  to  erect  a 
Reunion  Memorial  Church.  A  building  committee  consisting 
of  Rev.  R.  B.  Moore,  Professor  S.  J.  Kirkwood,  John  McCalmont, 
and  E.  G.  Bowe  was  appointed.  Funds  were  solicited,  ground 
was  purchased,  and  the  work  went  forward.  In  January, 
1871,  the  lecture-room  was  read}'^  for  occupancy,  and  during 
the  summer  of  that  year  the  house  was  so  far  completed  that 
it  was  dedicated  on  the  20th  of  October.  The  dedicatory 
sermon  was  preached  by  Dr.  E.  Bushnell,  of  Fremont.  Dr. 
Wm.  H.  JefFers,  of  Wooster  University,  preached  on  Saturday 
and  on  Sabbath  evenings,  assisting  also  in  the  services  of 
dedication. 

The  Board  of  Church  Erection  assisted  liberally  in  this  time 
of  struggle,  as  did  also  several  of  the  churches  in  the  regions 
near  at  hand  and  one  or  two  farther  off. 

The  lot  cost  $3150,  and  the  structure  $12,500.  Unfortu- 
nately, the  whole  sum  was  not  raised  to  pay  this  debt.  It  was 
pledged  in  a  few  montlis  afterward  in  connection  with  the 
resignation  of  the  pastor,  but  still  the  debt  was  not  paid. 

The  congregation  was  for  more  than  a  year  without  a  stated 
ministry.  Calls  had  been  extended  to  two,  botli  of  whom 
declined.     On  the  1st  of  July,  1873,  Rev.  J.  T.  Pollock  was 


364  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCHES. 

called  from  the  cliurcli  of  Monroeville ;  accepting,  he  was 
installed  September  7th.  During  his  pastorate  of  nearly  five 
years  the  church  in  many  respects  prospered,  additions  were 
made  to  its  numbers,  and  the  prayer  meetings  and  Sabbath 
school  were  well  attended. 

In  the  autumn  of  1875  a  series  of  meetings  were  conducted 
by  the  able  evangelist.  Rev.  H.  H.  Wells,  d.d.  The  church 
and  the  community  were  greatly  moved,  and  a  number  were 
converted.  Mr.  Pollock  entered  into  this  work  with  great 
earnestness,  and  quite  a  number  were  added  to  the  church. 

There  was,  however,  the  incubus  of  a  debt  hanging  over  the 
congregation,  and  there  were  a  number  of  removals,  so  that 
his  efforts  were  greatly  crippled.     He  resigned  in  May,  1878. 

On  the  10th  of  June,  1878,  a  call  was  extended  to  Mr.  D.  D. 
Bigger,  a  young  licentiate,  just  graduated  from  the  North- 
western Theological  Seminary.  The  call  was  unanimous, 
though  the  church  felt  itself  to  be  so  weak  as  to  be  able  only 
to  promise  a  salary  of  seven  hundred  dollars.  Mr.  Bigger 
accepted  the  call,  and  entered  upon  his  labors  on  the  27th  of 
the  same  month.  Those  were  indeed  dark  days,  with  a  debt 
of  over  $4000  resting  on  the  church  and  creditors  wanting 
their  money.  Mr.  Bigger  was  young,  and  full  of  courage  and 
hope.  He  was  ordained  as  an  evangelist,  April  15th,  and  on 
the  8th  of  October  following  was  installed  pastor. 

He  soon  laid  his  plans  for  removing  the  debt ;  and  when  the 
minds  of  the  people  were  prepared  he  secured  subscriptions, 
and  by  the  early  part  of  1881  he  and  his  congregation  had  the 
joy  of  seeing  the  last  of  the  debt  of  $4200  canceled. 

This  done,  the  house  was  sadly  in  need  of  changes  and  re- 
pairs. In  1882  the  sum  of  $4000  was  expended  upon  these. 
This  sum  included  the  gift  of  a  magnificent  bell  by  Mr.  R.  W. 
Shawhan,  costing  over  $1100.  This  debt  of  $4000  was  paid  in 
a  reasonable  time.  Then  came  the  desire  for  a  new  organ, 
and  an  instrument  of  splendid  appearance  and  tone  was 
secured  in  1886,  at  a  cost  of  $2700. 

More  recently,  in  the  autumn  and  winter  of  1801-2,  Mrs.  Delia 


THE   TIFFIN  CHURCH.  365 

Shawhan,  a  member  of  this  church  from  her  young  girlhood, 
has,  at  her  own  expense,  entirely  remodeled  the  whole  struc- 
ture. The  cost  of  all  this  has  been  well  up  in  the  thousands, 
and  the  sanctuary  is  now  not  only  commodious,  but  it  is  a  joy 
and  a  delight  to  all. 

GENERAL    EQUIPMENT. 

This  church  is  now  in  good  working  condition.  Among  its 
most  helpful  members  are  many  of  its  Christian  women. 
They  have  for  some  years  had  their  Woman's  Foreign  ]Mission 
Society,  and  also  their  Woman's  Home  Mission  Society.  Much 
of  the  work  of  missions,  as  done  by  this  church,  is  effected 
through  these  societies.  The  F.  M.  Society  was  organized 
May  6,  1876.  Mrs.  S.  R.  McLane  was  then  chosen  president ; 
Mrs.  L.  A.  Pollock  and  Mrs.  C.  D.  Sprague  vice-presidents ; 
Miss  Jean  Devoll,  secretary,  and  Mrs.  Leroy  Rodgers,  treasurer. 
The  present  officers  are :  President,  Mrs.  Delia  Shawhan  ;  vice- 
president,  Mrs.  J.  W.  Geiger ;  secretary,  Mrs.  F.  H.  Holmes,  and 
treasurer,  Mrs.  J.  M.  Baxter.  The  Home  Mission  Society  was 
organized  later.  Its  officers  at  present  are :  President,  Mrs.  J. 
K.  Kohn ;  vice-president.  Miss  Flora  Baltzell ;  treasurer,  Mrs.  R. 
R.  Neil,  and  secretary,  Mrs.  Wm.  Harmon.  There  is  also  an 
excellent  "  Young  People's  Society  of  Christian  Endeavor." 
The  Sabbath-school  is  full  of  encouragement.  It  has  had  a  line 
of  able  superintendents.  Dating  from  1867  and  downward  we 
name :  Prof.  S.  J.  Kirkwood,  ll.  d.,  now  of  Wooster  University, 
Prof.  J.  McC.  Martin,  Col.  C.  H.  Miller,  Mr.  C.  D.  Sprague, 
Dr.  W.  A.  Dickey,  and  now  Cadmus  S.  Metz.  The  infant  de- 
partment of  the  school  was  for  a  number  of  years  under  the 
earnest  care  of  Mrs.  H.  Housel.  Recently,  however,  this  branch 
of  the  work  has  been  remodeled,  and  is  now  in  charge  of  Mrs. 
Dr.  G.  P.  Willard,  assisted  by  Miss  Alelia  Huddle,  with  a  kin- 
dergarten class  managed  by  Mrs.  C.  S.  Metz. 

The  eldership  of  this  church  previous  to  1852  was  composed 
of  Wm.  McMeens,  Wm.  Hunter,  Thomas  McKee,  Mr.  Marsh, 
and  L.  IVI.  Loomis.     Since  that  date,  at  which  time  the  records 


366  HISTORY  OF   THE  CHURCHES. 

were  lost,  the  following  persons  have  served  in  this  capacity : 
L.  M.  Loomis,  Thomas  McKee,  Joseph  Burnside,  Thomas 
Watson,  I.  L.  St.  John,  Matthew  Laird,  Robert  Lysle,  Prof. S.J. 
Kirkwood,  E.  C.  Boyd,  D.  G.  Wilson,  John  Kerr,  John  McCal- 
mont,  David  Smythe,  Franklin  Frederici,  Wm.  Davidson, 
Nathaniel  Beck,  J.  S.  Bott,  and  Charles  Baldwin.  Half  of  these 
have  died,  most  of  the  others  have  removed  to  other  regions ; 
none  are  now  elders  in  the  Tiffin  church.  Mr.  Robert  Lysle,  who 
had  filled  this  office  in  this  congregation  for  more  than  a  quar- 
ter of  a  century,  and  who  was  a  warm-hearted  and  experienced 
Christian,  died,  in  the  triumph  of  faith,  October  22,  1891.  At  that 
time  the  eldership  was  reduced  to  but  one  or  two.  Others  have 
been  chosen,  and  there  are  now  four  young  and  active  men 
serving  the  church  in  this  capacity :  George  W.  Davis,  chosen 
in  1890,  John  D.  Coates,  Harry  Taggart,  and  Cadmus  S.  Metz, 
who  were  ordained  October  22,  1891. 

The  ministers  of  this  congregation  up  to  18G7,  who  were 
stated  supplies,  have  all  passed  away  by  death.  From  1867  to 
this  year,  1892,  there  have  been  three  pastors :  R.  B.  Moore,  J.  T. 
Pollock,  and  David  Dwight  Bigger.  These  all  yet  live ;  the  last 
named  has  entered  u2:)on  the  fifteenth  year  of  his  pastorate. 


NORWALK  CHURCH. 

This  church  was  organized  on  the  11th  of  February,  1830, 
by  Rev.  Messrs.  A.  H.  Betts,  Daniel  W.  Lathrop,  and  John 
Beach.  It  consisted  of  nine  members,  five  males  and  four 
females.  It  was  organized  as  a  Congregational  church  and 
taken  under  the  care  of  Huron  Presbytery.  David  Higgins  was 
elected  clerk  ;  and  he,  with  Benjamin  Franklin,  was  appointed 
a  Standing  Committee.  It  adopted  the  Articles  of  Faith  and 
Covenant,  substantially,  which  were  recommended  by  the  Pres- 
bytery. 

Rev.  John  Beach  was  the  stated  supply  of  this  church  in  con- 
nection with  the  church  in  Peru,  sustained  in  part  by  the  Home 
Missionary  Society.   Mr.  Beach  was  from  the  State  of  Xew  York, 


NOR  WALK  CHURCH.  367 

was  brought  up  as  a  merchant,  embraced  religion,  and  studied 
for  the  ministry  after  he  had  a  family.  He  remained  in 
Norwalk  until  some  time  in  1831,  when  he  removed  to  Ann 
Arbor,  Michigan.  He  died  a  few  years  previous  to  18G0.  The 
church  was  then  supplied  once  in  two  weeks  by  Rev.  Eldad 
Barber,  who  was  the  principal  of  the  Huron  Institute,  at  Milan. 
He  was  followed  by  Rev.  Chapin  R.  Clark,  who  commenced  his 
labors  in  September,  1833,  and  continued  them  one  year. 

Rev.  Stephen  Saunders,  of  Milan,  formerly  a  much  esteemed 
pastor  of  a  church  in  Salem,  N.  J.,  afterward  supplied  for  a  few 
months,  until  feeble  health  prevented  his  further  labors.  He 
died  in  the  early  part  of  1835. 

In  the  spring  of  1835  the  organization  of  the  church  was  _z, 
changed  from  Congregational  to  Presbyterian.  Agur  B.  Hoyt 
and  Andrew  Bishop  were  chosen  elders.  Mr.  Bishop  declining 
to  serve,  Cortland  L.  Latimer  was  appointed  in  his  place.  On 
the  7th  of  March,  1836,  an  act  of  incorporation  was  obtained, 
giving  the  society  a  legal  existence  under  the  name  of  the  First 
Presbyterian  Church  and  Congregation  of  Norwalk,  Ohio. 

In  March,  1835,  at  the  suggestion  of  Rev.  E.  Judson,  of  Milan, 
an  invitation  was  sent  by  the  church  to  the  Rev.  Alfred  New- 
ton, of  Connecticut,  to  visit  them  with  a  view  of  being  em- 
ployed as  pastor  should  there  be  mutual  satisfaction.  Having 
previously  determined  to  make  the  West  his  field  of  labor,  Mr. 
Newton  was  the  more  ready  to  receive  the  proposition  with 
favor.  He  accordingly  accepted  the  invitation,  and  commenced 
his  labors  in  Norwalk  on  the  first  Sabbath  in  July,  1835. 

The  congregation  at  that  time  had  no  house  of  worship,  but 
occupied  a  room  in  the  Academy,  which  was  under  the  control 
of  the  Methodists.  The  number  of  church  members  was  thirty- 
two.     The  congregation  was  about  twice  that  number. 

The  population  of  the  village  was  about  one  thousand.  There 
were  three  other  religious  societies,  which  had  their  houses  of 
worship  either  completed  or  in  process  of  erection.  The 
Presbyterian  church  was  not  only  small  in  numbers,  but  weak 
in  pecuniary   resources.     The   whole   taxable   property  of  its 


368  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCHES. 

members  and  supporters,  according  to  the  duplicate  of  tliat  year, 
did  not  exceed  $10,000.  Yet  such  was  the  enterprise  and  zeal 
of  a  few  of  its  members  that  the  salary  of  $400  was  paid 
with  promptness.  It  was  done,  too,  without  the  aid  the  church 
had  previously  been  receiving  from  the  Home  Missionary 
Society.  From  this  time  and  onward  the  church  was  self 
sustaining. 

After  one  month's  service,  Mr.  Newton  was  invited  to  continue 
for  a  year,  from  the  time  of  his  arrival.  He  was  only  a  licen- 
tiate, and  in  order  that  he  might  perform  full  ministerial  duty 
the  church  requested  his  ordination,  and  he  was  ordained  in 
the  following  September.  At  the  expiration  of  the  year  he  was 
unanimously  invited  to  become  the  pastor,  with  a  pledge  of  a 
salary  of  $500,  and  again  in  1837  the  same  invitation  was  ex- 
tended. But  each  time  Mr.  Newton  declined,  wishing,  before 
he  became  permanently  settled,  to  see  a  prospect  of  having  a 
house  to  preach  in.  Yet  he  continued  his  labors.  The  matter 
of  building  a  sanctuary  had  been  discussed  for  some  time, 
and  several  steps  had  been  taken  in  this  direction.  Mean- 
while the  services  were  held  in  the  Academy  until,  in  February, 
1836,  the  building  was  burned  down.  Then  another  place  of 
worship  was  soon  extemporized  in  the  attic  of  a  brick  block  on 
west  Main  Street.  It  was  an  unfinished  room,  with  naked  raft- 
ers and  walls.  Unplaned  boards  without  backs  were  the  seats 
for  the  audience,  and  the  pulpit  was  constructed  of  tea  chests 
and  drj'  goods  boxes.  With  these  primitive  appointments,  the 
church  continued  to  hold  its  meetings  on  the  Sabbath,  from 
February  to  June,  when  the  old  Court-House  was  secured.  Here 
the  services  were  conducted  for  more  than  a  year.  In  1837,  a 
building  committee  having  been  appointed  in  December,  1836, 
consisting  of  John  Miller,  W.  F.  Griswold,  John  Kennan,  Picket 
Latimer,  and  Miner  Lawrence,  a  lot  was  procured,  and  a  house 
of  worship  was  erected  by  Messrs.  Hall  and  Sheldon.  It  was 
finished  about  the  first  of  July,  1838. 

It  cost  about  §10,000,  including  the  lot  and  organ.  Some 
$3000  remained  as  a  debt,  which  was  not  paid  in  full  till  after 


NOB  WALK  CHURCH.  369 

1840.  This  was  accomplished  by  a  society,  the  taxable  property 
of  whose  members  did  not  exceed  $20,000. 

In  1838  the  call  was  renewed  to  Mr.  Newton  to  become  the 
pastor  of  the  church.  The  salary  promised  was  six  hun- 
dred dollars ;  harmony  prevailed,  the  house  of  worship  was 
ready  for  occupancy,  the  church  and  congregation  were  grow- 
ing, and  this  time  the  call  was  answered  in  the  affirmative. 

The  new  church  was  dedicated  on  the  24th  of  July,  1838. 
On  the  same  day  Mr.  Newton  was  installed  pastor  by  the  Pres- 
bytery. 

PROGRESS    OF    THE    CHURCH. 

For  a  number  of  years  there  was  not  experienced  a  general 
or  powerful  revival  of  religion  by  this  church.  Yet  there  were 
the  tokens  of  the  divine  favor.  A  number  of  times  the  special 
presence  of  the  Spirit  was  realized. 

Soon  after  Mr.  Newton  commenced  his  labors  here  a  few 
minds  were  awakened  to  a  state  of  inquiry,  and,  though  there 
was  no  revival,  there  was  increasing  interest,  and  some  were 
added  to  the  Lord. 

Mr.  Newton  revolved  the  question  of  a  protracted  meeting, 
such  as  he  had  seen  conducted  in  Connecticut  with  good  re- 
sults. But  he  found  that  an  unsuccessful  one,  held  in  the  place 
two  or  three  years  previously,  had  left  so  unfavorable  an  impres- 
sion on  many  minds  that  he  deemed  it  inexpedient  to  hold 
one.  It  was  thought  best,  both  by  himself  and  his  advisers, 
that  he  should  labor  on  in  the  ordinary  way,  preaching  the 
Gospel  "  publicly  and  from  house  to  house  "  as  best  he  could. 
This  course  he  pursued,  not  without  cheering  evidence  that  it 
was  the  wise  one  and  had  the  favor  of  Heaven. 

From  1837  to  1841  the  country  was  greatly  agitated  with 
questions  growing  out  of  its  financial  embarrassments.  Politi- 
cal partisanship  ran  high.  Some  of  the  churches  in  the  Pres- 
bytery were  agitated  over  the  discussion  of  certain  doctrines 
and  certain  measures  for  promoting  religion.  These  were 
doubtless  the  doctrines  of  "  sanctification."  The  result  of  all 
was  that  the  period  was  one  of  religious   declension.      Few 

24 


370  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCHES. 

revivals  visited  the  churches.  Yet  in  tlie  winter  of  1841-42 
there  was  an  unusual  degree  of  religious  interest  in  this  church, 
more  than  in  any  preceding  year,  resulting  in  the  hopeful 
conversion  of  more  than  twenty,  most  of  whom  united  with 
the  church.  Tlie  tone  and  life  of  the  church  was  much  im- 
proved. 

The  next  wdnter,  1842-43,  there  was  also  a  quickened  state 
of  religious  feeling.  As  the  result,  fourteen  were  added  to  the 
church,  more  than  half  of  them  by  profession. 

In  1843  the  doctrine  of  the  Second  Advent  made  some  dis- 
turbance. Several  persons  who  had  been  valuable  members 
embraced  the  views  of  the  so-called  Adventists.  They  were  dealt 
with  by  the  session,  and,  being  unwilling  to  abandon  tho.se 
views,  their  connection  with  the  church  was  dissolved.  Most 
of  those,  however,  who  w^ere  lost  in  this  way  had  been  previ- 
ously disaffected. 

In  1852  some  more  than  usual  attention  appeared  among  the 
youth,  particularly  those  who  were  attending  the  Female 
Seminary,  wdiich  had  been  in  operation  about  one  year.  Thir- 
teen were  admitted  to  the  church,  mostly  on  profession.  In 
1854  a  more  general  interest  began  to  appear  among  the  same 
class.  Meetings  of  inquiry  were  held  weekl}'^  at  the  pastor's 
study  during  the  winter,  and  some  sixteen  or  seventeen  pro- 
fessed hope. 

In  1857-8,  in  common  with  other  churches  of  the  place  and 
many  others  in  the  land,  a  season  of  refreshing  was  enjoyed, 
resulting  in  the  accession  of  about  twenty  to  the  church.  In 
none  of  these  instances  was  any  foreign  aid  employed,  not  be- 
cause of  opposition  to  such  aid,  but  because  it  did  not  seem  to 
be  called  for. 

The  church  continued  to  grow,  but  it  grew  gradually  and 
not  by  sudden  impulses.  In  a  historical  discourse,  from  which 
mainly  we  gather  our  facts,  preached  by  Dr.  Newton  in  1860, 
at  his  quarter  centenary  anniversary,  he  could  report  that 
since  the  organization  of  the  church  the  membership  had  in- 
creased from  nine  to  150,  while  there  had  been  a   total  of 


NOB  WALK  CHURCH.  371 

admissions  of  353,  and  there  had  been  contributions  of  more 
than  $60,000  for  religious  and  educational  purposes  at  home 
and  abroad. 

Dr.  Newton  continued  to  be  the  pastor  of  this  people  until 
the  last  of  July,  1870.  Tlie  Presbytery,  at  his  request,  dis- 
solved the  pastoral  relation  on  the  5th  of  the  month,  to  take 
effect  from  the  last  Sabbath  of  it.  He  had  been  installed  on 
the  day  of  the  dedication  of  the  old  church.  His  official  pas- 
torate ceased  on  the  day  of  the  dedication  of  the  new  church. 
He  had  served  the  congregation  for  thirty-five  years.  Through 
all  these  years  there  was  continued  growth.  When  he  began 
there  were  thirty-two  members;  when  he  closed  tliere  were  186. 

THE    NEW    CHURCH. 

The  congregation  worshiped  in  the  building  that  was  dedi- 
cated in  1838  for  more  than  thirty  years.  It  was  at  length  felt 
to  be  inadequate.  In  1867  a  movement  began  to  secure  a  new 
house  of  worship.  With  various  hindrances  and  discourage- 
ments this  was  prosecuted  until  the  completion,  in  1870,  of  the 
present  sanctuary,  at  a  cost,  with  the  lot,  of  about  $25,000.  It 
was  dedicated  on  the  last  Sabbath  of  July,  1870,  with  a  debt 
of  about  $5000  resting  on  it.  This  debt  proved  a  heavy  bur- 
den, and  it  continued  until  in  January,  1878,  a  vigorous  attempt 
was  made  to  reduce  it.  The  effort  was  successful,  and  by  the 
1st  of  May,  1879,  the  last  dollar  had  been  paid  and  the 
church  entirely  freed. 

Dr.  Newton  continued  to  live  in  Norwalk  as  pastor  emeritus 
of  the  church  until  the  31st  of  December,  1878,  when  he  was 
called  to  his  everlasting  reward.  The  church  has  been  recently 
modified  and  improved  at  an  expense  of  $2500. 

When  Dr.  Newton  resigned  the  pastorate  Mr.  H.  H.  Rice,  a 
licentiate  from  the  Presb3^tery  of  New  York,  was  chosen,  unan- 
imously, to  succeed  him.  He  having  declared  his  willing- 
ness to  accept  the  call  when  placed  in  his  hands,  on  the  13th  of 
September,  1870,  by  the  Presbytery,  arrangements  were  made 
for  his  ordination  and  installation,  which  took  place  on  the  6th 


372  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCHES. 

of  October  following.  He  remained  with  the  church  for  our 
years,  resigning  in  the  fall  of  1874,  and  was  soon  after  called 
to  the  Westminster  church  of  Sacramento. 

For  nearly  a  year  the  church  was  without  a  pastor.  In  the 
summer  of  1875  Mr.  J.  D.  William.son,  a  licentiate  of  the  Con- 
gregational Association  of  Andover,  began  to  preach,  and  on 
the  26th  of  October  he  was  received  by  the  Presbytery  and 
ordained  at  Norwalk,  accepting  an  invitation  to  supply  the 
church  for  one  year.  He  afterward  accepted  a  call  to  become 
the  pastor,  and  was  installed  on  the  3d  of  October,  1876.  This 
relation  continued  until  the  7th  of  July,  1884,  when,  at  the 
request  of  Mr.  Williamson,  it  was  dissolved  by  the  Presbytery, 
and  in  April,  1885,  he  was  dismissed  from  that  body  that  he 
might  accept  a  call  to  the  church  in  Warren,  Ohio.  He  has 
since  removed  to  Cleveland. 

In  the  summer  of  1885  Rev.  J.  M.  Seymour,  from  "  the 
Northern  Indiana  Association  of  Congregational  Churches  and 
Ministers,"  visited  this  people  and  accepted  a  call  to  become 
their  pastor.  He  was  received  by  the  Presbj^tery  on  the  3d  of 
December,  and  was  installed  at  Norwalk  on  the  14th  of  April, 
1886.  He  still  continues  his  labors  with  this  congregation, 
where  everything  is  moving  forward  in  harmony  and  love  and 
prosperously.     The  church  is  growing. 

REVIVAL  OF  1872-73. 

During  the  pastorate  of  Rev.  H.  H.  Rice  the  deepest  and 
most  extensive  revival  of  religion  visited  this  church,  and 
the  city  and  community,  that  the  place  has  ever  known. 
There  had  been,  in  1865,  an  extensive  revival,  Mr.  Newton 
being  at  the  time  assisted  by  Rev.  Mr.  Edwards,  a  Presbyterian 
minister  and  evangelist.  Among  the  fruits  of  that  revival  was 
Israel  W.  Hathaway,  who  has  been  for  many  years  pastor  of 
the  Westminster  Church  in  Jersey  City.  This  revival  was 
noted  for  the  spiritual  growth  of  many  who  had  been  mem- 
bers of  the  church  which  accompanied  it. 

But  the  greatest  awakening  in  Norwalk  was  that  of  1872-3. 


NOB  WALK  CHURCH.  373 

Cleveland  delegates  to  a  Y.  M.  C.  A.  Convention  in  Toledo  on 
their  return  held  a  Sabbath  afternoon  meeting  at  Whittlese}' 
Hall  in  Norwalk,  in  December,  1872.  This  was  the  beginning 
of  the  great  work.  The  crowds  increased  as  the  meetings 
followed — being  held  from  church  to  church — until  the  Pres- 
byterian church  was  found  to  be  the  only  house  large  enough 
to  hold  them.  Rev.  H.  H.  Wells,  of  Cleveland,  remained  for 
two  weeks  to  conduct  the  meetings.  After  his  departure  the 
pastors  conducted  services,  in  union  and  separately,  for  a 
number  of  weeks.  The  influence  of  this  revival  was  felt 
throughout  the  adjacent  towns  and  country.  Many  were  added 
to  the  churches,  in  some  cases  whole  families,  and  the  effect  is 
still  felt  in  the  influence  of  those  who  came  under  the  revival 
power.  Man}'^  business  men  and  men  of  advanced  years  were 
saved.  There  were  ten  women  who  had  unconverted  husbands, 
who  a  number  of  years  before  had  agreed  to  pray  for  their 
conversion.  Two  or  three  had  already  been  converted,  but 
now  they  all  came  to  Christ.  Men  who  had  been  skeptics, 
wicked  men,  and  backsliders  sat  like  little  children  at  the 
Master's  feet. 

The  subsequent  lives  of  many  of  them,  and  in  some  cases 
their  triumphant  deaths,  showed  how  real  the  work  had  been. 

The  Presbyterian  church  received  a  large  accession,  and  some 
of  those  who  are  now  its  staunchest  members  came  in  at  that 
time. 

THE    SABBATH    SCHOOL. 

This  school  was  organized  in  1835,  and  has  always  enjoyed  a 
fair  degree  of  prosperity.  Its  first  superintendent  was  Cortland 
L.  Latimer,  who  was  continued  in  this  office  without  intermis- 
sion till  his  removal  to  Cleveland  in  1862.  He  was  a  note- 
worthy man,  for  more  than  thirty  years  carrying,  often  almost 
alone,  the  financial  burdens  of  the  church.  He  was  a  model 
Sunday-school  superintendent,  making  his  school  the  model 
school  of  the  community.  By  rare  skill  and  tact  he  reached 
out,  in  that  early  day,  to  the  advanced  systems  of  the  modern 
Sabbath  school.     He  died  May  20,  1885,  aged  seventy-five,  at 


374  HISTORY  OF  THE   CHURCHES. 

Cleveland,  Ohio.     He  was  succeeded  as  su])erintendent  by  N. 
S.  C.  Perkins,  who  was  succeeded  byC.  P.  Wickhani.  The  latter 
was  succeeded  by  James  G.  Gibbs,  who  superintended  tlie  school 
to  January,  1892,  when  he  was  succeeded  by  J.  8.  A\'hite. 
The  membership  is  about  250. 

THE    ELDERSHIP. 

When,  in  1835,  the  organization  of  the  church  was  changed 
from  Congregational  to  Presbyterian,  Agur  B.  Hoyt  and  Cort- 
land L.  Latimer  were  ordained  and  installed  elders.  The  elders 
who  followed  them  were  W.  Todd,  J.  M.  Crosby,  J.  R.  Osborn, 
Jairus  Kennan,  A.  M.  Read,  N.  S.  C.  Perkins,  and  Miner  Law- 
rence. These  were  all  previous  to  the  adoption  of  the  rotary 
system,  December  26, 1867.  Since  that  time  the  following  have 
served  in  this  office  :  Jairus  Kennan,  Dr.  A.  ]\I.  Read,  N.  S.  C. 
Perkins,  Miner  Lawrence,  C.  P.  Wickham,  Joel  E.  Mead,  G.  Y. 
Burton,  H.  L.  Kennan,  AV.  B.  Colson,  J.  L.  Van  Dusen,  J.  S. 
Coe,  A.  R.  Marsh,  J.  G.  Gibbs.  Elder  Marsh  died  in  Washing- 
ton, Pa.,  whither  he  had  removed,  July  10,  1890.  Elder  H.  L. 
Kennan  has  removed  to  Spokane,  Washington,  and  Willis  G. 
Carpenter  was  elected  in  his  stead  in  January,  1892. 

The  membership  of  this  church  is  now  over  300.  It  has  its 
"  Young  People's  Society  of  Christian  Endeavor,"  organized  in 
1890,  which  has  about  seventy  members  and  is  active  and 
l)rosperous. 

MISSIONARY. 

Mrs.  E.  H.  Farr  has  given  the  following  statements  on  this 
subject : — 

The  Woman's  Foreign  Missionary  Society  of  this  church  was 
organized  .January  31,  1876,  with  nine  members.  Mrs.  Dr.  A. 
M.  Read  was  the  first  president,  serving  three  years ;  Mrs.  Edith 
E.  William.son,  the  second,  two  years ;  Mrs.  ]\L  H.  Gibbs,  five ; 
Mrs.  J.  R.  Oliver,  one ;  Mrs.  D.  E.  Morehouse,  one,  followed  by 
Mrs.  W.  E.  Colson  and  others.  Miss  Martlia  J.  Xewton,  daugh- 
ter of  Dr.  A.  Newton,  was  the  efficient  treasurer  for  eleven  years. 
Failing  health  compelled  her  to  resign.     From  this  church 


NORWALK  CHURCH.  375 

and  Sunday  school  Mrs.  J.  L.  Whiting  (??€c  Miss  Lucy  M.  Jack- 
son) went  out  as  missionary  to  Peking,  China.  She  is  still 
there.  Her  winsome  ways,  earnest  consecration,  and  sweet  face 
have  made  her  one  of  the  most  successful  of  missionary  women. 
Another  Sunday-school  teacher,  Miss  Laura  White,  from  this 
church,  went  to  Peking  in  1873  as  the  wife  of  Rev.  Myron  W. 
Hunt.  Mr.  Hunt's  health  failing,  they  returned  after  three 
years. 

The  Norwalk  Preshyterian  Sunday  school  was  organized  into 
a  Mission  Band  in  1881,  and  for  several  years  sent  $100  a 
year  to  Rev.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Whiting,  Peking,  China.  In  1885 
this  school  sent  to  them,  for  their  Sunday  school,  a  fine  cabinet 
organ.     They  continue  their  missionary  contributions. 

The  home  missionary  work  of  this  church  has  been  carried 
on  for  more  than  thirty  years.  Mrs.  D.  W.  Newton,  wife  of 
Dr.  A.  Newton,  was  the  moving  spirit  in  this  line  of  work.  By 
personal  solicitation,  for  many  years,  she  saw  that  a  valuable 
box  was  prepared  and  sent  to  some  missionary  on  the  frontier 
each  year. 

In  1882  Mrs.  C.  E.  Walker,  secretary  of  the  Executive  Board 
of  the  Woman's  Home  Missionary  Society,  was  sent  out  to  visit 
the  churches  and  organize  local  societies.  Such  an  organi- 
zation was  perfected  in  the  Norwalk  Church,  Auxiliary  to  the 
Woman's  Executive  Committee  of  New  York,  taking  in  the 
organization  already  spoken  of.  The  first  president  was  Mrs. 
J.  E.  Lutts,  who  was  continued  in  office  for  a  number  of  years. 
Mrs.  J.  M.  Sej^mour  was  then  elected  and  served  for  a  year, 
when  she  was  followed  by  Mrs.  J.  M.  Gibbs.  This  society,  in 
1888,  in  connection  with  the  Presbyterial  Society,  began  to 
contribute  to  the  support  of  Mrs.  A.  E.  W.  Robertson,  mission- 
ary to  the  Creek  Indians,  who  had  previously  been  supported 
by  the  Norwalk  Woman's  Foreign  Missionary  Society,  with 
other  societies  in  the  Presbytery,  but  who  was  transferred  to 
the  Home  Board.  Tliis  Home  Missionary  Society  in  Norwalk 
has  been  represented  in  tlie  active  work  by  Miss  Delia  Barber, 


376  HISTORY  OF  THE   CHURCHES. 

a  teaclier  among  the  freedmen  at  a  scliool  in  Pointe  Coup6e, 
Louisiana. 

Mrs.  J.  E.  Lutts  and  Mrs.  K.  E.  Christian  have  been  members 
of  the  Synodical  Committee  for  a  number  of  3'ears,  and  Vjy  their 
perseverance  have  contributed  to  the  success  of  the  Presby- 
terial  organizations  and  to  the  formation  of  Woman's  Home 
Missionary  Societies  in  Huron  Presbytery. 

The  inner  history  of  the  Norwalk  society,  in  the  way  of 
letters  and  correspondence,  has  been  full  of  interest. 

In  April,  1892,  the  two  societies  united  under  the  name  of 
"  The  Woman's  Missionary  Society."  The  officers  are :  Mrs.  F. 
C.  Wickham,  president ;  Mrs.  E.  H.  Farr,  secretary ;  Mrs.  Dr. 
Seely  and  Mrs.  J.  L.  Mead,  vice-presidents,  and  Mrs.  M.  H. 
Gibbs,  Mrs.  J.  M.  Seymour,  and  Miss  W.  G.  Carpenter,  Financial 
Committee. 

MONROEVILLE  CHURCH. 

ORGANIZATION. 

For  some  years  the  Presbyterians  and  Congregationalists  of 
Ridgefield  Township,  Huron  County,  Ohio,  had  their  church 
connection  with  the  church  of  Lyme.  There  was  but  the  one 
organization.     It  was  formed  July  15,  1817. 

On  the  14th  day  of  November,  1831,  certain  members  of  this 
society,  of  Lyme  and  Ridgefield  townships,  met  at  the  house  of 
S.  Van  Rensselaer  and  organized  the  church  of  Monroeville. 
For  some  years  the  organization  bore  the  name  of  "  The  Church 
in  Ridgefield."  The  ministers  present  at  the  time  of  organiza- 
tion were:  Rev.  Messrs.  A.  H.  Betts,  E.  Conger,  E.  Judson  and 
E,  P.  Salmon.  The  constituent  members  were  :  James  Hamil- 
ton, Sen.,  Hannah  Hamilton,  John  Seymour,  Sarah  A.  Seymour, 
Thomas  A.  Prentiss,  Elmira  Barney,  Lewis  Stone,  Hannah 
Stone,  Micah  Skinner,  Cata  Skinner,  Dilatus  W.  Skinner,  Jane 
Catharine  Skinner,  Nathan  Stevens,  Eliza  Stevens,  Mrs.  Rebecca 
Van  Rensselaer,  Marj'^  A.  Sowers,  Mary  Holiday,  Laura  H. 
Sherman,  Eliza  Ann  Seymour,  Elmira  Cook,  Nancy  Hand,  and 
Betsy  and  Melissa  Brown. 


MONROE  VILLE  CHURCH.  '611 

This  was  a  Plan  of  Union  Church.  It  secured  a  charter  in 
1S38,  under  the  name  of  "  The  Presbyterian  and  Congregational 
Church  and  Society  of  Monroeville."  The  trustees  were  James 
Hamilton,  George  Hollister,  John  M.  Latimer,  Justus  Brown, 
and  George  W.  Mannahan,  with  James  W.  Humphrey  as  sec- 
retary. This  charter  was  secured  when  the  church  was  about 
to  erect  a  house  of  worship. 

PLACES    OF    MEETING. 

Services  were  held  in  a  school-house,  standing  on  the  site 
occupied,  in  1878,  by  Mr.  John  Hosford's  residence,  until  1840. 
On  the  13th  of  iipril  of  that  year  the  Building  Committee 
reported  the  house  of  worship  finished,  at  a  cost  of  about  $4000. 
Rev.  J.  B.  Parlin  was  the  minister  who  helped  on  with  the  work 
of  securing  this  sanctuary.  It  is  the  building  occupied  at  the 
present  time.  In  the  summer  of  1865  it  was  renovated,  and  a 
sum  equal  to  the  original  cost  was  expended  upon  it.  It  was 
partially  destroyed  by  fire  on  the  27th  of  December,  1891. 
Under  the  encouraging  help  of  their  minister,  Rev.  Frank  M. 
Whitlock,  they  went  to  work  to  renew  again,  at  an  expense  of 
$1000.  On  the  1st  and  the  3d  of  July,  1892,  the  house  was 
reopened.  In  connection  with  the  opening  services  there  were 
given  some  historical  reminiscences,  and  an  historical  address 
by  Mr.  Whitlock. 

About  the  year  1864  a  comfortable  parsonage  was  purchased 
by  this  people,  under  the  ministry  of  Rev.  D.  E.  Wells,  at  a 
cost  of  $1800.  A  parsonage  was,  indeed,  owned  under  the  min- 
istry of  Rev.  Mr.  Parlin  ;  but,  owing  to  a  serious  debt  occasioned 
in  building  the  house  of  worship,  upon  his  resignation  of  the 
pastorate  the  parsonage  was  sold.  Upon  the  present  manse 
about  $150  have,  in  1892,  been  expended  in  repairs. 

MINISTERS. 

The  first  stated  minister  of  this  church  was  Rev.  E.  P.  Salmon. 
He  was  installed  pastor  on  the  day  the  church  was  organized — 
November  14,  1831 — by  the  other  members  of  the  Committee 


378  HISTORY  OF   THE   CHURCHES. 

of  Organization,  and  continued  until  >S33.  He  was  followed 
by  Rev.  LTrban  Palmer,  who  supplied  the  pulpit  for  about  eight 
months,  when  fsiiling  health  caused  him  to  retire.  Then  for 
three  or  four  years  the  church  was  supplied  by  a  number  of 
ministers,  each  one  serving  his  turn  for  a  longer  or  a  shorter 
time.  Mr.  Salmon  returned  for  a  time  in  1835.  Then  Rev. 
Eldad  Barber,  D.  Higgins,  A.  H.  Betts,  A.  Newton,  E.  Conger, 
and  perhaps  others,  ofiiciated  for  a  time  or  occasionally.  In 
1837  Rev.  J.  B.  Parlin,  of  Potsdam,  N.  Y.,  was  invited  to  serve 
as  stated  supply.  He  continued  to  do  so  until  the  1st  of  June, 
1842,  when  he  was  installed  pastor  by  the  Presbytery.  He  con- 
tinued in  this  latter  relation  until  March  20,  1847.  Under  his 
ministrations,  a  sanctuary  was  erected,  a  parsonage  secured,  a 
choir  organized,  a  Sabbath  school  started,  and  a  number  of 
members  added  to  the  church. 

For  several  months  Rev.  E.  P.  Sperry  served  as  a  supply ; 
occasionally  Rev.  A.  Newton  came  over  from  his  charge  in 
Norwalk  and  preached.  Rev.  L.  A.  Sawyer  then,  from  July, 
1847,  to,  perhaps,  1850,  ministered,  and  twenty-nine  were  added 
to  the  church.  There  seems  to  have  been  during  these  years, 
from  1831  to  1850,  no  little  of  removal  to  and  from  this  region, 
as  there  were  added  to  the  communicants  in  that  time  one 
hundred  and  fifty-two  persons,  one  hundred  and  one  of  them 
coming  in  by  letter,  and  yet  in  1850  the  membership  was  but 
fifty-nine. 

On  the  20th  of  August,  1850,  a  call  was  extended  to  Rev.  C. 
W.  Clapp,  and  he  was  installed  pastor  and  served  till  March 
30,  1855.  Rev.  Charles  Richards  next  supplied,  from  June  1, 
1855,  until  June,  1858.  Then  followed  Rev.  Henry  AVillard 
in  the  September  of  1858.  He  was  a  decided  Congregationalist 
and  sought  to  take  the  church  away  from  the  Presbytery ;  but 
the  only  result  of  his  efforts  was  a  commotion,  which  made  his 
ministry  at  this  place  a  failure  and  caused  him  to  retire  at  the 
end  of  a  year.  He  was  succeeded  by  Rev.  J.  E.  Weed,  from 
Cincinnati.  He  w^as  a  decidedly  loyal  man,  and  in  the  hours 
when  the  country  was  in  danger  from  the  armed  Rebellion  he, 


MONROEVILLE  CHURCH.  379 

from  his  pulpit,  openly  urged  the  enlisting  of  soldiers  for  the 
war.  He  resigned  his  charge  October  26,  1863,  and  removed 
to  Lansing,  Michigan,  where  he  now  resides. 

Rev.  D.  E.  Wells  came  next,  March  1, 1864.  He  Avas  installed 
pastor  September  25,  1866.  His  was  the  most  successful  pas- 
torate so  far  in  the  history  of  this  organization.  He  says  him- 
self: "  In  some  respects  the  most  fruitful  part  of  my  ministry 
of  thirty-two  years  is  connected  with  the  church  of  Monroe- 
ville."  Under  his  ministry  the  manse  was  secured.  In  the 
winter  of  1865  there  was  a  great  revival,  and  fifty  were  added 
to  the  roll  of  communicants  in  one  year.  The  sanctuary  was 
repaired  and  prosperity  generally  looked  over  the  church. 
Mr.  Wells  had  the  pastoral  relation  dissolved  on  the  15th  of 
April,  1868,  and  in  January,  1869,  he  settled  at  Red  Wing, 
Minnesota.  Monroeville  was  then  supplied  for  a  few  months 
by  a  Rev.  Mr.  Turner  (or  Rev.  T.  J.  Lewis),  when,  on  the  1st  of 
September,  1869,  Rev.  Smith  Barnes,  of  Austinburg,  Ohio, 
entered  the  field  and  remained  for  nearly  a  year.  Rev.  J.  T. 
Pollock  was  the  next  supply.  He  began  about  August  1, 1870. 
He  served  this  people  for  three  years,  when  he  accepted  the 
call  to  the  pastorate  of  the  church  in  Tiffin,  Ohio.  He  was 
succeeded  at  Monroeville  by  Rev.  C.  W.  Wallace,  who  entered 
upon  his  work  within  the  year  1873,  and  continued  until 
April,  1876.  During  the  term  of  service  of  Mr.  Wallace  this 
church  had  a  case  of  discipline  which  for  two  years  or  more 
occasioned  great  irritation  and  destroyed  the  hope  of  success. 
From  October  1,  1876,  until  April  5, 1879,  Rev.  A.  A.  Cressman 
was  the  minister  in  charge.  He  was  followed  by  the  Rev. 
Walton  Pattinson,  who  served  from  1880  to  1882.  On  the  8th 
of  January,  1882,  Rev.  W.  Dewey  came  from  Bristol  Centre,  X. 
Y.,  and  preached  for  this  church  until  April  9,  1885,  when  he 
was  removed  by  death,  in  the  seventy-second  year  of  his  life. 
He  was  the  only  minister  who  had  died  while  serving  this 
church.  He  was  both  beloved  and  successful  in  doing  good. 
The  Presbytery  and  the  church  lamented  his  departure.  Rev. 
T.  C.  Thomas  supplied  next,  from  1886  till  1890.     He  was 


380  HISTORY  OF   THE   CHURCHES. 

followed  by  Rev.  Frank  M.  Whitlock,  who  began  bis  labors  on 
April  5,  1891,  and  continues  successfully  and  hopefully  to  the 
present  time.  He  says  of  the  church  that  in  1890  the  mem- 
bership was  fifty,  and  that  since  1831  there  have  been  received 
in  all  about  four  hundred  and  fourteen  persons,  one  hundred 
and  ninety  by  letter  and  two  hundred  and  thirty -four  on  pro- 
fession of  faith. 

THE    ELDERSHIP. 

At  the  time  of  the  organization  of  the  church  elders  were 
elected  as  follows :  James  Hamilton,  Sr.,  John  Seymour,  Thomas 
J.  Prentiss,  and  Nathan  Stevens.  Since  that  time,  in  1834, 
Simeon  C.  Stimson  was  ordained  to  this  office  by  Rev.  E.  Con- 
ger on  the  5th  of  April.  Some  time  later  Jonathan  Green  and 
Albert  Brown  were  elected,  and  both  have  served  for  a  number 
of  years.  Mr.  Green  died  on  the  10th  of  March,  1890,  at  a 
ripe  old  age.  Mr.  Brown  still  continues  a  member  of  the  ses- 
sion, which  is  now  composed,  with  him,  of  William  Johnston 
and  Christian  Edwards.  The  last  two  named  were  chosen  and 
ordained  in  May,  1891. 

THE    SABBATH-SCHOOL. 

The  Sunday-school  was  organized  under  the  ministry  of  Rev. 
J.  B.  Parlin,  probably  about  the  time  of  entering  the  house  of 
worship,  in  1840.  He  was  the  superintendent,  and  among  the 
early  teachers  were:  Mr.  Humphry,  Mrs.  Humphry,  John 
Brown,  James  DeWitt,  Mrs.  George  Hollister,  and  Mrs.  Stella 
Coan.  For  some  years  the  pastors  were  the  superintendents. 
But  since  Rev.  D.  E.  Wells'  administration  Thomas  J.  Lewis, 
George  S.  Fish,  David  Clary,  G.  W.  Paique,  E.  J.  Squier,  and 
Brainard  W.  Salisbur}'  have  served.  The  last  of  these  is  the 
present  superintendent. 

This  church  has  also  its  Young  People's  Society  of  Christian 
Endeavor,  of  which  William  Johnston  is  president ;  its  Ladies' 
Aid  Society,  of  which  Mrs.  G.  Fish  is  president,  and  its  Mis- 
sionary Society,  of   which  Miss   Lizzie   Boehm   is    president 


REPUBLIC  CHURCH.  381 

With  all  these  equipments  for  carrying  on  the  work  of  the 
Lord  the  church  of  Monroeville  may  be  said  to  be  in  a  hopeful 
condition. 

REPUBLIC  CHURCH. 

The  following  is  taken  mainly  from  a  sermon  preached  by 
Rev.  D.  D.  Bigger,  d.  d.,  at  Republic,  July  14,  1884 : — 

ORGANIZATION. 

In  examining  the  records  of  this  church,  we  find  that  on  the 
17th  day  of  September,  1831,  according  to  notice  previously 
given,  a  meeting  of  the  Presbyterians  residing  in  Scipio  Town- 
ship was  held  at  the  house  of  Ethan  Smith  for  the  purpose 
of  electing  ruling  elders,  and  that  Abraham  Tremain,  Rufus 
Bishop,  and  Brainard  Cleveland  were  chosen.  On  the  19th 
day  of  April,  1832,  the  permanent  organization  was  effected  by 
a  committee  of  Huron  Presbytery,  consisting  of  Rev.  Messrs. 
James  Robinson,  E.  Conger,  and  E.  P.  Salmon.  The  following 
persons  united  in  the  organization,  namely :  William  Smith, 
William  Van  Fleet  and  wife,  Elizabeth  Church,  Brainard 
Cleveland,  Sophia  Cleveland,  Rufus  Bishop,  Susan  Bishop, 
Abraham  Tremain,  and  Martha  Tremain. 

The  church  was  called  the "  First  Presbyterian  Church  of 
Scipio,"  and  the  above-named  elders  were  installed.  The 
church  was  Presbyterian,  and  adopted  the  Westminster  Con- 
fession of  Faith  as  containing  the  system  of  doctrine  and  dis- 
cipline taught  in  the  Scriptures,  but  also  resolved  that  a  short 
summary  of  the  Articles  of  Faith  as  contained  in  the  Confes- 
sion be  prepared. 

PLACES    OF    MEETING. 

The  church  was  formed  in  Nathan  Smith's  barn.  In  the 
summer  time  the  services  were  held  in  the  barns  of  T.  R.  Rob- 
erts and  Ethan  Smith,  alternating  to  accommodate  the  mem- 
bers in  different  parts  of  the  community.  In  the  winter  they 
were  conducted  in  Mr.  Smith's  house,  because  it  offered  more 
ample  accommodations  than  any  other  home  of  the  settlers. 


382  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCHES. 

It  was  in  Mr.  Smitli's  barn  that  tlie  first  Sacramental  table  was 
spread.  The  ordinance  was  observed  the  same  then  as  now, 
with  the  exception  that  a  long  table,  covered  with  a  white 
cloth,  extended  across  the  barn,  and  around  tliis  the  communi- 
cants were  seated,  doubtless  many  from  other  neighboring 
churches  being  present.  The  minister  dispensed  the  elements 
from  the  head  of  the  table.  Communions  in  those  days  were 
deeply  solemn  occasions,  and  people  were  accustomed  to  throng 
to  them  from  the  regions  around. 

THE    FIRST    MINISTER, 

For  perhaps  two  or  three  years  before  1832  the  Rev.  James 
Robinson,  who  was  serving  tlie  churches  of  Melmore  and 
Tiffin,  had  been  preaching  here.  His  sermons,  though  some- 
times nearly  two  hours  in  length,  were  not  so  tiresome  that 
many  of  his  Christian  hearers  desired  to  have  them  shortened. 

The  region  of  these  fine  farms  and  the  pleasant  village 
of  to-day  was  then  mainly  a  wilderness ;  for  Republic  there 
was  just  one  blacksmith  shop  and  a  seven-by-nine  store. 
An  itinerant  preacher,  of  any  denomination,  coming  into  the 
community  awakened  such  an  interest  that  all  soon  knew  of 
his  presence.  It  was  not  until  1834,  the  same  year  the  church 
was  chartered,  that  the  village  was  surveyed  and  plotted  by  a 
man  named  Shumaker.  In  this  community  Mr.  Robinson  was 
tlie  first  Presbyterian  minister  who  preached  statedly. 

OTHER    MINISTERS    AND    THEIR    WORK. 

Mr.  Robinson  supplied  the  church  for  a  year  or  more  after 
its  organization.  In  June,  1834,  Mr.  John  McCutchen,  a 
licentiate  of  the  Presbytery  of  Columbus,  began  to  preach  here 
statedly.  He  was  received  and  ordained  by  Huron  Presbytery 
in  1835.  This  was  his  first  charge ;  he  preached  as  a  supply 
till  1840,  when,  on  the  20th  of  December,  he  was  installed  pas- 
tor. This  relation  was,  however,  dissolved  on  the  20th  of 
August,  1841.  He  is  described  as  a  robust,  hearty-looking  cler- 
gyman, very  sedate  and  dignified.     He  labored  earnestly  and 


,     REPUBLIC  CHURCH.  383 

successfully.  Nearly  one  hundred  were  added  to  the  church, 
and  blessings  of  a  spiritual  and  intellectual  character  were 
brought  to  the  community  during  his  administration.  At  the 
close  of  a  series  of  meetings,  December  10,  1837,  twenty-five 
were  added  to  the  church.  Only  one  of  this  number  remains 
to  tell  of  the  grace  given  him  at  that  time,  Mr.  Orange  Cooly, 
the  oldest  member  of  sessions. 

The  next  minister  after  Mr.  McCutchen  was  Rev.  Jabez 
Spicer.  He  was  a  practicing  physician.  He  served  the  church 
four  months,  from  September,  1841,  to  January,  1842.  His 
ministry  was  not  a  very  successful  one,  for  some  reason.  He 
never  united  with  the  Presbytery.  His  proper  work  was,  per- 
haps, that  of  a  physician.  But  he  insisted  upon  occupying  the 
pulpit.  He  was  a  keen-witted  man  and  an  Augustinian,  in 
whose  make-up  there  was  no  mushroom  tissue.  He  was  in  the 
habit  of  invariably  discussing  the  doctrine  of  predestination. 
The  reason  he  gave  was  that  he  enjoyed  seeing  the  people 
squirm.  He  removed  to  Michigan,  where,  in  his  residence  in 
Hudson,  for  reasons  unknown,  he  took  his  own  life. 

Rev.  John  Whipple  supplied  the  pulpit  during  1843.  He 
was  an  easy-going,  modest,  social  man,  ever  ready  with  a 
goodly  greeting  to  all  he  met.  Seven  were  added  to  the  church 
during  this  period. 

Next  came  Rev.  Merrit  Harmon,  May  23, 1844,  who  remained 
about  two  and  a  half  years,  in  which  time  three  were  added 
by  examination  and  sixteen  by  letter. 

It  was  at  this  period  that  politics  entered  into  church  affairs, 
and  almost  made  havoc  with  the  vital  interests  of  the  congre- 
gation. It  is,  however,  to  be  said  to  the  credit  of  Mr.  Harmon 
that  he  would  have  nothing  to  do  with  politics  in  his  repre- 
sentative capacity  as  a  minister  of  Christ.  But  about  this  time 
the  anti-slavery  controversy  was  at  white  heat.  This  brought 
the  trouble.  Some  were  radical,  others  were  conservative.  Mr, 
Harmon  sought  quietly  to  do  his  duty,  hoping  that  the  right 
would  be  victorious  at  last.  As  a  legacy  left  to  the  present  and 
future  church,  there  are  ninety-three  pages  of  literature,  the 


384  JILSTOIiV  OF   THE  CHURCHES. 

record  of  an  ecclesiastical  trial  which  lasted  from  October  3, 
1845,  to  July  2,  184G.  This  church  has  not  yet  rallied  from 
the  disasters  of  those  sad  years. 

The  sixth  minister  was  the  Rev.  Calvin  M.  Ransom,  who 
served  from  January  2,  1847,  till  April  3,  1850.  He  was  in- 
stalled pastor  June  29,  1848.  During  his  ministry  in  Repub- 
lic, two  members  were  added  by  examination  and  fifteen  by 
letter. 

On  August  25,  1850,  Rev.  C.  R.  Sheldon,  a  young  man  of 
prepossessing  appearance,  very  cordial,  and  devoted  to  his 
work,  came  to  the  church,  and  remained  until  July  7,  1855. 
He  was  here  ordained  and  installed  pastor  October  8, 1851.  At 
the  end  of  his  second  year  he  wrote  for  the  Presbytery  a  con- 
densed history  of  the  church.  In  that  he  states  that  "  thus 
far  in  his  work  seven  communicants  had  been  received  by  ex- 
amination and  sixteen  by  letter,  and  that  the  whole  number 
then  in  communion  was  sixty-five." 

Next  followed  Rev.  F.  Putnam,  who  supplied  the  church 
from  June  6,  1856,  until  some  time  in  1857.  Rev.  Samuel 
Montgomery  succeeded  him,  continuing  from  November  10, 
1857,  to  April  3,  1859. 

Rev.  J.  B.  Parlin  supplied  "  three  years  during  the  war,"' 
from  September,  1861,  to  May  29,  1864. 

Rev.  William  Newton  officiated  from  October  24,  1865,  to 
September  5,  1866.  The  people  of  Republic  have  made  but 
one  reflection  on  him  :  that  was  the  complaint  that  he  left 
Republic  to  devote  his  whole  time  to  Bloomville  and  Mel- 
more. 

Following  this  brother  beloved,  next  came  Rev.  S.  R.  Lock- 
wood,  in  1868.  He  remained  but  a  short  space,  and  was 
succeeded  by  Rev.  Henry  Rice,  whose  stay  was  also  brief. 

From  this  time,  about  1869,  the  church  was  without  any 
supply,  scarcely  even  having  an  occasional  sermon,  until  1874. 
When  they  were  greatly  depressed,  in  1873,  they  were  visited 
in  the  autumn  by  several  members  of  the  Presbytery,  who  held 
Avith  them  a  short  series  of  meetings,  seeking  their  revival.    In 


REPUBLIC  CHURCH.  385 

March,  1874,  Rev.  Alvin  Baker  took  up  the  work  of  suppl}^, 
and  continued  to  preach  here  and  at  Bloomville  until  October 
10,  1875.  He  soon  afterward  went  to  CaUfornia,  seeking  health, 
where  he  died  in  the  early  part  of  1884.  He  was  a  man  of 
lovely  Christian  character,  modest,  sedate,  and  a  clear  preacher. 
His  prayers  were  remarkable  for  their  earnest,  quiet  simplicity, 
and  for  their  fullness  of  GosjDel  thought  and  spirit.  To  hear 
him  pray  was  to  feel  that  he  knew  the  Gospel  of  the  Son  of 
God. 

He  was  succeeded,  both  at  Republic  and  Bloomville,  by  Rev. 
Walton  Pattinson,  who  served  these  churches  from  July  15, 
187G,  to  April,  1878.  Mr.  Pattinson  was  an  Englishman,  and 
a  man  of  considerable  strength,  but  he  failed  to  remember  that 
he  was  j)reaching  in  independent  America,  and  that  the  stern, 
positive  ways  that  might  answer  in  Europe  would  not  answer 
here.  He  was  in  many  ways  an  interesting  brother.  With  the 
Republic  church  he  got  along  pleasantly. 

Rev.  R.  B.  Moore  came  to  this  church  in  the  early  summer 
of  1880.  He  found  the  remnant  somewhat  discouraged.  They 
had  several  years  previously  sold  their  old  house  of  worship  and 
had  secured  desirable  grounds,  hoping  ere  long  to  see  the  way 
clear  to  erect  a  new  sanctuary.  They  were  then  worshiping  in 
the  Baptist  church,  which  that  body  had  kindly  offered  for 
their  use.  In  the  spring  of  1881  they  resolved  to  arise  and 
build. 

Subscriptions  having  been  secured  to  the  amount  of  $2500, 
a  plan  having  also  been  procured,  a  contract  was  made  with 
Mr,  David  Ogden  to  erect  the  house.  During  the  summer  it 
was  built,  and  in  the  month  of  October,  1881,  it  was  dedicated. 
Rev.  A.  A.  E.  Taylor,  d.  d.,  then  president  of  Wooster  Univer- 
sity, preaching  the  sermon.  Mr.  Moore  continued  to  suppl}^ 
the  pulpit  until  the  following  summer,  when  he  went  to  Green 
Spring  Academy.  Several  interesting  additions  were  made  to 
the  membership  during  his  ministry. 

He  was  followed  at  once  by  Rev.  D.  D.  Bigger,  who  was 
supply  for  about  a  year  and  a  half.     During  this  time  the 
25 


386  HISTORY  OF   TlIK   rJU'JiCJIKS. 

peoi)le  were  revived  and  some  further  ])rceioLi,s  additions  were 
made.  Mr.  J3igger  gave  to  this  people  tlie  fulhiessof  his  heart, 
but  his  work  at  Tiffin  demanded  his  whole  strength,  and  he 
was  compelled  in  the  fall  of  18S4  to  give  up  Republic. 

The  church  then  remained  until  the  fall  of  18SG  without  a 
regular  ministry.  At  that  time  an  arrangement  was  made  by 
which  this  congregation  and  that  of  Bloomville  should  be 
united  into  one  charge.  Rev.  M.  De  Witt  Long  took  the  charge, 
and  since  he  entered  upon  his  work  has  been  giving  satisfaction 
to  both  churches  as  a  minister  of  the  Word.  Only  a  gracious 
outpouring  of  God's  Spirit  is  now  wanted  to  fill  the  house  with 
both  hearers  and  believers. 

Mr.  Long  retired  from  this  field  September  1,  1891. 

There  have  been  in  all  eighteen  ministers  who  have  supplied 
this  church,  three  of  whom,  McCutchen,  Ransom,  and  Sheldon, 
were  installed  as  pastors.  Recently  Mr.  James  A.  Patterson,  a 
student,  has  been  preaching  as  a  temporary  supply. 

PLACES   OF   WORSHIP. 

Since  the  organization,  and  the  days  wdien  the  services  were 
held  in  the  homes  and  barns  of  Mr.  Roberts  and  Mr.  Smith, 
there  have  been  four  church  edifices  erected  b}'  this  people. 

The  first  of  these  was  completed  in  the  winter  of  1831-2.  It 
was  located  one  mile  south  and  about  fifty  rods  east  of  Repub- 
lic, on  the  Anway  farm.  The  materials  used  were  a  choice 
selection  of  logs  from  the  virgin  forest  and  the  storied  "  chinkin' 
and  daubin'."  In  this  primitive  house  of  worship  the  Presby- 
tery met  to  draft  a  Covenant  in  consonance  with  the  West- 
minster Confession  of  Faith,  and  by  this  presence  it  was 
dedicated  to  the  service  of  Almighty  God. 

The  second  church  was  built  in  1837,  under  the  direction  of 
Rev.  John  IMcCutchen,  and  initiated  by  a  series  of  meetings 
which  were  productive  of  great  good.  This  building  has  been 
transformed  into  a  dwelling,  and  may  be  seen  at  the  southwest 
corner  of  the  block  adjoining  the  present  sanctuary. 

The  third  house  of  worship  was  erected  about  1846.     It  is 


REPUBLIC  CHURCH.  387 

at  present  doing  duty  as  a  warehouse,  having  been  sold  in  1878 
or  '79  to  the  firm  of  Stickney  &  Dentler.  Its  original  cost  was 
about  $3000,  and  it  was  finished  during  the  ministry  of  Rev. 
Merritt  Harmon. 

The  fourth  sanctuary  is  the  pleasant  building  in  which  the 
congregation  now  worship.  It  was  completed  in  the  fall  of 
1881  and  dedicated  in  October.  This  house  cost  about  $4000. 
The  Board  of  Church  Erection  gave  $500  of  that.  Great 
earnestness  and  liberality  were  shown  by  the  congregation  in 
their  efforts  to  pay  the  debt.  Much  devolved  upon  the  ladies, 
and  they  have  nobly  met  the  responsibility.  The  church  has 
been  full}^  paid  for. 

The  committee  who  had  charge  of  the  matter  in  securing 
funds  and  erecting  the  house  were  E.  T.  Stickney,  E.  C.  Smith, 
Orange  Cooley,  R.  R.  Porter,  Lyman  Payne,  and  R.  B.  Moore. 

ELDERSHIP, 

Since  the  organization  of  the  Republic  church  there  have 
been  twelve  elders.  At  the  organization  three  were  elected  and 
installed — Abraham  Tremain,  Rufus  Bishop,  and  Brainard 
Cleveland.  In  1838,  April  11th,  Joseph  Curtin  and  Ethan 
Smith  were  ordained ;  in  1842,  January  22d,  Gaylord  Smith 
was  ordained ;  Joseph  Creque,  Orange  Cooley,  and  Henry 
Chamberlain,  October  31,  1851;  Elroy  Smith,  in  1874;  R.  B. 
Porter  and  Lyman  F.  Payne,  October  6,  1877. 

From  the  records  and  other  sources  it  appears  that  these 
twelve  elders,  with  one  exception,  have  been  faithful  men.  The 
unfaithful  one,  honored  with  so  noble  a  position,  was  suspended 
four  years  after  he  had  been  solemnly  ordained  to  his  office. 
He  had  turned  his  back  upon  Christ  and  His  Church,  declining 
all  Christian  duty  such  as  he  had  covenanted  to  perform. 

The  present  Board  of  Elders  is  composed  of  Orange  Cooley, 
Elroy  C.  Smith,  and  Rush  R.  Porter. 

A  Woman's  Missionary  Society  was  organized  in  the  Republic 
church  September  4,  1889,  by  Mrs.  M.  De  Witt  Long.  The 
officers  chosen  were  :  Mrs.  Laura  Ogden,  president ;  Mrs.  Frank 


388  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCHES. 

Fox,  vice-president;  Mrs.  Lizzie  Anway,  secretary,  and  Mrs. 
Patience  Beigh,  treasurer.  The  next  year  these  officers  were 
re-elected,  excepting  that  Mrs.  Flora  A.  Charles  was  made  sec- 
retary.    These  are  the  officers  at  present. 

THE   CHURCH    AND   SOCIETY. 

At  the  formation  of  this  church  there  were  ten  members. 
The  number  increased  in  a  few  years  up  toward  100.  It  began 
amid  troubles  to  decrease.  It  is  now  composed  of  a  very  pleas- 
ant class  of  people  and  numbers  thirty  communicants.  The 
oldest  present  member  is  Mrs  Emma  Stickney,  one  of  the  most 
excellent  of  women,  who  has  been  a  communicant  with  this 
fold  for  over  fifty-six  years.  The  next  in  years  is  Elder  Orange 
Cooley,  who  united  in  1837.  This  "people  have  kept  alive  and 
sin  hopeful  vigor,  during  the  greater  part  of  its  history,  a 
Sabbath  school.  Mr.  E.  C.  Smith  was  for  a  number  of  years  its 
superintendent.  Its  music,  as  was  that  of  the  other  services, 
was  conducted  by  Edwin  Bogart,  who  had  the  assistance  of  his 
sisters  and  of  others. 

Throughout  most  of  its  history  this  organization  has  had  a 
"  Presbyterian  Society,"  in  distinction  from  the  church.  This 
society  manages  the  financial  and  general  interests  of  the  con- 
gregation. It  is  composed  of  such  as  ally  themselves  with  the 
organization,  whether  they  be  communicants  or  non-communi- 
cants.    It  has  its  own  regular  business  meetings. 

Of  this  society  Mr.  E.  T.  Stickney  has  for  many  years  been 
the  honored  president.  Unfortunately  for  him,  he  is  not  a  com- 
municant, but  he  has,  through  most  of  his  long  and  eventful 
life,  been  a  beloved  and  interested  supporter  of  the  church. 
He  has  for  some  time  been  lingering  on  the  border-land  be- 
tween the  two  worlds,  and  many  an  earnest  and  tender  prayer 
goes  up  for  him,  that  in  the  light  of  the  Son  of  God  he  may 
behold  the  Divine  glory,  and  that  through  faith  he  may  receive 
the  full  and  free  salvation  which  the  God  of  Love  and  Grace 
so  freely  offers.  A  pleasant  people,  a  lovely  sanctuary,  with  a 
faithful  ministry,  what  more  can  be  wanted  but  the  rich  bless- 
ing of  the  Spirit,  who  renews,  sanctifies,  and  comforts  ? 


THE  CHURCH  IN  FREMONT.  389 

THE  CHURCH  IN  FEEMONT. 

On  the  30th  of  November,  1883,  the  church  of  Fremont  cele- 
brated the  fiftieth  anniversary  of  their  organization.  On  this 
occasion  INIr.  Isaac  M.  Keeler,  one  of  the  elders,  read  a  histor}'- 
of  the  church,  gathering  his  facts  mainly  from  an  article  in  the 
"  History  of  Sandusky  County,"  of  which  Dr.  E.  Bushnell  was 
the  author,  and  from  the  records  of  the  session.  Upon  the 
same  occasion  an  address  was  delivered  by  Dr.  Bushnell. 
From  these  sources  we  gather  the  following  account  of  this 
church : — 

FIRST    THINGS. 

The  pioneer  preacher  among  the  sparse  settlers  of  this  region 
was  the  Rev.  Joseph  Badger,  of  the  Synod  of  Pittsburgh,  Pa., 
though  originally  from  Connecticut  or  Massachusetts,  who,  in 
1805,  made  a  tour  west  as  far  as  Michigan.  On  the  14th  of 
June  he  crossed  the  Sandusky  River,  swimming  his  horse  by 
the  side  of  a  canoe.  On  his  return  from  Michigan  he  preached 
in  Lower  Sandusky,  July  26th,  to  the  Indians.  Here  he  met 
Rev.  James  Hughes,  and  together  they  arranged  with  the  In- 
dian chief  for  preaching  to  his  people. 

In  May,  the  next  year,  Mr.  Badger  made  another  visit,  and 
an  Indian,  by  the  whites  called  Barnett,  was  converted,  and 
was  ever  afterward  counted  a  steadfast  and  faithful  Christian. 
For  many  years  Mr.  Badger  continued  his  labors  here,  and  the 
evidence  of  his  good  works  and  teachings  were  manifested  in 
a  better  state  of  society.  Through  his  persuasions  many  of  the 
Indians  discontinued  the  use  of  intoxicating  liquors,  and  the 
dealers  therein  abandoned  the  town.  In  the  fall  of  1809  there 
were  rumors  of  a  war  with  England.  Mr.  Badger  made  an 
appointment  for  the  Indians  to  meet  him  in  Lower  Sandusky 
(Fremont),  and  his  address  to  them  was  so  convincing  that 
they  resolved  to  take  no  part  in  the  war  if  it  came.  This 
Christian  man's  faithful  seed-sowing  in  the  hearts  of  the  dusky 
aborigines  and  the  few  white  settlers  from  the  East,  through- 
out all  this  valley,  was,  no  doubt,  with  the  blessing  of  the 


390  HISTORY  OF  THE   ClURCHKS. 

Divine  Master,  productive  of  precious  harvesting  in  the  heavenly 
fold  of  souls  won  for  Jesus. 

In  1849  Mr.  Badger  died  at  Perrysburg.  A  few  years  ago 
the  Presbyterian  Synod  contributed  money  to  place  a  stone  at 
his  grave. 

After  the  lapse  of  some  years  several  families  of  Presbyterians 
settled  here,  and  occasionally  a  minister  of  our  Church  would 
preach.  Among  them  was  Rev.  James  Robinson,  who  lield 
services  and  administered  the  Lord's  Supper  in  a  log  school- 
house,  which  is  yet  remembered  as  being  upon  the  site  now 
occupied  by  the  High  School  building. 

THE    CHURCH    ORGANIZED. 

On  the  30th  of  November,  1833,  a  meeting  was  held  in  the 
Court-House  of  Lower  Sandusky,  by  previous  appointment,  to 
organize  a  Presbyterian  church.  The  ministers  present  were 
the  Rev.  Messrs.  E.  Conger,  Xenophon  Betts,  and  Ellory  Bas- 
com,  members  of  the  Presbytery  of  Huron. 

The  meeting  was  opened  in  the  forenoon  by  prayer,  when 
tlie  following  persons  were  found  ready  to  unite  in  the  organ- 
ization, namely :  David  Camp  and  Elizabeth,  his  wife ;  Elvira, 
wife  of  Rev.  Ellory  Bascom ;  Jacques  Hulbard  and  Sophia,  his 
wife ;  John  Magee ;  Alexander  Ross  and  Hannah,  his  wife ; 
James  Ross  and  Catharine,  his  wife;  Joseph  Cookson  and 
Mary,  his  wife ;  Eunice,  wife  of  Jeremiah  Everett ;  Samuel 
Moore  and  Elizabeth,  his  wife;  Nancy,  wife  of  Isaac  Cookson; 
Margaret  Nyce ;  Samuel  Crowell  and  Mary,  his  wife ;  William 
C.  Otis,  Henry  Spohn,  and  Ruth  INIagee.  Of  these  twenty-two 
persons,  twenty  had  letters  certifying  their  membership  in 
churches  in  different  parts  of  the  country,  and  two  came  in  by 
profession.  The  certificates  were  read,  the  candidates  examined 
in  respect  to  their  doctrinal  and  experimental  knowledge  of 
the  Gospel,  and  approved,  when  a  recess  was  taken  till  three 
o'clock  in  the  afternoon.  After  the  recess  a  sermon  was  preached 
by  Rev.  Enoch  Conger  from  the  words :  "  Marvel  not.  my 
brethren,  if  the  world  hate  you." 


THE  CHURCH  IN  FRE3I0NT.  391 

After  the  sermon  the  above-named  persons  publicly  assented 
to  the  Confession  of  Faith,  and  entered  into  covenant  with  God 
and  each  other,  and  were  pronounced  a  church  of  our  Lord 
Jesus  Christ,  and  charged  to  walk  in  the  order  and  harmony  of 
the  Gospel. 

Immediately  after  these  services,  a  meeting  of  the  church 
was  held,  and  Messrs.  David  Camp  and  William  C.  Otis  were 
chosen  ruling  elders  and  John  Magee  clerk  of  the  church. 
Public  service  was  again  held  in  the  evening,  and  after  sermon 
the  elders-elect  were  ordained  and  installed.  The  organization 
was  Presbyterian,  and  at  the  spring  meeting  of  Huron  Presby- 
tery was  taken  under  its  care,  and  has  ever  since  been  attached 
to  that  body. 

PLACES    OF    MEETING. 

For  some  time  the  society  met  in  the  Court-house,  which 
renovated  building  is  now  (in  1889)  the  residence  of  Rev.  H. 
Lang,  pastor  of  St.  John's  Lutheran  Church,  in  the  log  school- 
house  before  spoken  of,  and  in  a  building  on  Front  Street,  now 
occupied  as  the  site  of  a  business  block.  Prayer  meetings  were 
held  at  the  residences  of  the  members  of  the  church.  In 
March,  1830,  the  Legislature  of  Ohio  passed  the  act  incorporat- 
ing "The  First  Presbyterian  Church  of  Lower  Sandusky." 
Jacques  Hulbard,  Samuel  Crowell,  and  William  C.  Otis  were 
the  first  trustees. 

After  this,  some  time  previous,  however,  to  1840,  the  church 
secured  as  their  meeting  house  a  two-story  frame  building 
belonging  to  Isaac  Prior,  situated  on  the  south  side  of  State 
Street,  east  side  of  the  river,  but  a  few  rods  east  of  the  bridge. 
This  building  still  stands,  and  is  occupied  as  a  tenement 
house. 

In  the  spring  of  1844  the  congregation  resolved  that  it  was 
expedient  to  make  effort  to  erect  a  more  suitable  house  of  wor- 
ship. The  lot  upon  which  the  present  church  stands  was 
selected,  and  the  trustees  directed  to  purchase  it. 

In  May  a  Building  Committee  was  appointed,  and  on  the 
10th  of  January,  1847,  the  house  was  completed  and  dedicated. 


392  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCHES. 

Its  size  was  45  x  60  feet,  and  it  was  occupied  continuously 
until  the  last  Sabbath  in  March,  1869.  In  1.S52  a  brick  lecture 
and  Sabbath-school  room  was  built  on  the  west  side  of  the 
church,  which  was  used  as  long  as  the  church  stood. 

But  with  the  growth  of  the  city  the  needs  of  the  congrega- 
tion demanded  a  larger  building  and  increased  accommoda- 
tions. 

At  the  annual  meeting  in  January,  1860,  by  a  vote  of  the 
church,  the  trustees  were  instructed  to  raise,  if  possible,  $25,000 
in  subscriptions  and,  if  successful,  to  proceed  to  the  erection  of 
a  more  commodious  house  of  worship. 

The  subscriptions  were  cheerful ly  made,  and  the  demolition 
of  the  old  cliurch  commenced  March  29,  1809,  preparatory  to 
the  laying  of  foundations  for  the  new.  For  ten  months,  while 
the  present  sanctuary  was  in  course  of  erection,  M'orship  was 
conducted  in  Birchard  Hall,  on  Front  Street.  In  the  fall  and 
winter  the  basement  rooms  were  finished,  so  that  from  Janu- 
ary, 1870,  services  were  for  a  time  held  therein. 

The  27th  of  April,  1873,  the  completed  church  edifice  was 
dedicated  free  of  debt,  having  cost  nearly  |40,000,  Sardis  Bir- 
chard and  F.  S.  White  each  contributing  the  munificent  sum 
of  $7000. 

THE    MINISTRY. 

The  Rev.  Ellory  Bascom  was  the  first  minister,  dating  from 
the  formation  of  the  church.  He  was  preaching  here  at  that 
time  and  remained  a  little  more  than  one  year.  In  May,  1835, 
Rev.  Enoch  Conger  came  and  continued  two  years.  Rev.  John 
McCutchen  preached  for  a  short  time,  commencing  in  May, 
1837.  He  \\\as  followed  by  Rev.  H.  A.  Reed,  who  began  in 
October,  1837.  Just  how  long  Mr.  Reed  remained  is  not  stated, 
but  he  was  succeeded  in  November,  1838,  by  Rev.  Ferris  Fitch, 
who  was  installed  the  first  pastor  May  16,  1839.  He  was 
released  from  this  pastoral  relation  May  8,  1844.  In  September 
following  Rev.  Wm.  W.  Backus  was  called,  and  occupied  the 
pulpit  for  a  few  months.  In  May,  1846,  Rev.  F.  S.  White 
accepted  a  call  from  the  church  to  become  its  pastor  and  was 


THE  CHURCH  IN  FBE3I0NT.  393 

installed  October  20,  1S47.  Most  acceptably  did  he  discharge 
the  duties  of  his  calling  until  poor  health  compelled  him  to  ask 
a  release,  and  Presbytery  dissolved  the  relation  June  29,  1852. 
November,  1852,  Rev.  Henry  A.  Rossiter  came  and  remained  a 
little  more  than  two  years,  followed  by  Rev.  Francis  Hendricks, 
in  July,  1885. 

On  the  12th  of  May,  1857,  Rev.  Ebenezer  Bushnell  was  in- 
stalled the  third  pastor  of  the  church,  and  ministered  with 
great  satisfaction  to  the  members  of  the  congregation  until 
September,  1882,  a  period  of  more  than  twenty-five  years.  The 
Lord  blessed  his  labors  abundantly.  The  pastoral  relation  was 
dissolved  that  Dr.  Bushnell  might  go  to  Cleveland  to  accept 
the  position  of  treasurer  of  Adelbert  College.  On  the  28th  of 
November,  1882,  Rev.  Charles  E.  Barnes  was  installed,  the 
fourth  pastor  in  the  history  of  this  church,  and  the  eleventh 
minister  in  fifty-nine  years.  His  pastorate  has  from  its  commence- 
ment been  one  of  marked  success,  as  might  be  expected  from 
the  facts  that  he  is  a  man  of  able  and  earnest  faithfulness  and 
has  had  as  his  predecessor  in  this  field  for  so  long  a  time  Rev. 
Dr.  E.  Bushnell.  It  shall  come  to  pass  "  that  one  soweth  and 
another  reapeth."  Mr.  Barnes  still  continues,  and  his  labors  are 
followed  with  blessing.   The  church  has  grown  from  year  to  year, 

REVIVALS. 

In  the  summer  of  1837,  under  the  preaching  of  Rev.  John 
McCutchen,  noted  for  his  success  on  special  occasions,  there 
was  an  extensive  revival — in  fact,  the  largest  of  any  in  the 
history  of  the  church.  How  long  the  meetings  were  continued, 
or  who  assisted  in  the  labors  which  brought  the  ingathering  of 
souls,  the  records  of  the  session  do  not  state.  On  Sabbath,  July 
16th,  there  were  received  into  the  communion  of  the  church 
six  persons  by  letter  and  forty  on  profession  of  their  faith? 
some  of  whom  became  prominent  members  and  officers  of  the 
society.  Several  of  these  are  yet  living,  here  or  elsewhere.  lu 
April,  1843,  eight  were  received  on  profession.  Between  Janu- 
ary and  July  4th  of  1845  twenty-eight  were  received  on  pro- 


394  HISTORY  or   THE   CIICRCHES. 

fessioii  and  eight  by  letter.  In  May,  1850,  sixteen  were  added  ; 
in  May,  1850,  thirty-two;  in  May,  18G5,  seven;  in  May,  1866, 
eight ;  in  May,  1867,  seven,  and  in  March,  1872,  eleven.  In 
the  first  four  months  of  1873  twenty-five  were  received  on 
profession.  All  of  these  were  witnesses  to  the  fact  that  this 
cliLirch  has  enjoyed  not  a  few  seasons  of  special  revival,  wliile 
in  the  meantime  other  accessions  were  gradually  being  made. 
The  largest  number  of  communicants  in  this  church  in  the 
past  have  come  in  under  the  ordinary  use  of  the  means  of 
grace  rather  than  under  special  and  protracted  services.  Yet 
there  have  been  special  and  precious  seasons  of  revival  grace. 
With  the  week  of  prayer  at  the  beginning  of  1883,  the  new 
pastor  and  a  majority  of  the  members  of  the  church  who 
attended  these  services  felt  that  the  Spirit  of  the  Lord  Jesus 
was  moving  their  hearts  to  do  more  personal  work  in  winning 
souls.  The  meetings  were  continued  four  weeks  after  the  week 
of  prayer,  but  were  then  interrupted  by  the  storm  and  flood  of 
the  first  week  of  February.  After  an  interval  of  two  weeks 
they  were  resumed.  As  the  result,  on  the  4th  of  March  twenty- 
four  were  received  on  profession  and  eight  by  letter.  The  whole 
number  received  in  the  course  of  the  year  was  sixty-two.  The 
total  membership  was,  November  30,  1883,  255.  Since  that 
time  the  Lord  has  so  abundantly  blessed  the  labors  of  His 
servant  and  people  that  large  additions  have  from  time  to  time 
been  made.  In  April,  1888,  the  total  membership  of  the  church 
reported  to  Presbytery  was  315.  Since  then,  in  the  winter  of 
1888-9,  the  Lord  again  visited  this  Zion,  and  thirty-one  were 
added,  and  in  1891  forty-one  were  added,  and  the  whole  number 
of  communicants  is  now  380. 


TlIK    SABBATH    SCHOOL. 

A  Sabbath  school  was  commenced  in  Lower  Sandusky  in 
1831,  of  which  the  school  of  this  church  is  the  continuation. 
It  was  commenced  with  five  scholars ;  Mrs.  Wooly  was 
superintendent,  Mrs.  Ogle  a  teacher,  and  Mrs.  W.  Morrison, 


THE  CHURCH  IN  FREMOXT.  395 

daughter  of  Mrs.  Wooly,  and  who  was  with  the  church  at  its 
semi-centennial,  was  one  of  the  pupils. 

Prominent  among  the  superintendents  were  C.  J.  Pettibone, 
Dr.  Frank  Williams,  and  J.  B.  G.  Downs.  Elder  C.  R.  McCul- 
loch  came  to  the  school  in  1840.  In  1850  he  became  the 
superintendent,  and  has  held  the  high  position  nearly  ever 
since,  through  a  period  of  about  forty  years,  seldom  missing  a 
Sabbath  in  a  year  from  presiding  over  the  school  during 
that  time.  He  ranks  among  the  oldest  and  best  Sunday-school 
superintendents  in  the  State. 

The  membership  for  some  years  past  has  enrolled  over  tliree 
hundred  pupils.  Scarcely  a  j^ear  has  gone  by  without  some, 
from  influence  of  teachings  in  this  school,  having  given 
evidences  of  the  new  birth,  and  enrolling  themselves  as  the 
disciples  of  the  Great  Teacher.  The  weekly  contributions  taken 
in  the  school  during  Mr.  McCuUoch's  superintendency  have 
amounted  to  over  $1800.  This,  besides  some  six  or  seven 
hundred  dollars  given  by  the  congregation,  has  been  spent  in 
the  purchase  of  books  for  the  use  of  the  school  and  for  mis- 
sionary purposes. 

Mr.  F.  H.  Dorr  has  for  over  thirty  years  been  the  librarian 
of  the  school.  He  has  also  been  the  only  organist  of  the  church 
and  Sabbath  school,  serving  cheerfulh"  because  of  his  love  for 
the  work.  In  .lanuary,  1891,  Mr.  O.  B.  Love  was  elected 
superintendent  of  the  school. 

Two  persons  formerly  members  of  this  school  and  church  are 
now  missionaries  in  Soochow,  China.  Many  years  ago  George  F. 
Fitch  and  Mary  McLellan  were  among  the  little  ones  of  the 
Sunday  school,  Miss  Martha  Raymond  their  teacher.  They  both 
made  profession  of  love  for  Christ  and  united  with  the  church. 
George  F.  Fitch  graduated  at  Hudson  College  and  Lane  Sem- 
inary. Mar}'  McClellan  received  her  education  in  the  Union 
schools  and  at  Painesville  Seminary.  In  1869  they  were  mar- 
ried, and  in  October,  1870,  sailed  from  San  Francisco  for  China, 
under  appointment  from  the  Presbyterian  Board  of  Foreign 
Missions.     Mr.  Fitch  was  the  fourth  son  of  Rev.  Ferris  Fitch, 


896  HISTORY  OF   THE  CHURCHES. 

the  first  installed  pastor  of  this  chiirdi.  His  honored  mother, 
after  the  death  of  her  husband,  Mr.  Fitcli,  married  Samuel 
Hofford,  one  of  the  elders  of  the  church,  and  continued  to  aVjide 
in  Fremont,  thankful  to  be  permitted  to  give  her  son  to  so 
noble  a  cause.  Mary,  the  wife  of  the  missionary,  is  the  .second 
daughter  of  R.  W.  B.  IMcClcllan,  one  of  the  former  elders  of  the 
Fremont  churcli. 

THE    ELDERSHIP. 

The  church  has  had  seventeen  elders.  The  first  two  were 
David  Camp  and  Wm.  C.  Otis.  March  31, 1838,  Ezra  Williams 
was  elected;  in  November,  1841,  Samuel  Hofford;  in  Novem- 
ber, 1843,  Samuel  Clark,  Samuel  Crowell,  and  Dr.  Frank  Wil- 
liams were  elected.  Mr.  Crowell  declined  to  serve,  and  C.  J. 
Pettibone  was  chosen  in  his  stead.  In  January,  1848,  George 
Wall ;  in  April,  1849,  J.  B.  G.  Downs  ;  in  January,  1852,  Joseph 
T.  Ross  and  Thomas  Gillmor ;  in  February,  185G,  Dr.  T.  Still- 
well  and  R.  W.  B.  McClellan  ;  on  April  30,  1869,  C.  R.  McCul- 
loch  and  I.  M.  Keeler  were  chosen,  and  on  March  23,  1884, 
Edward  Loudenslager  and  John  G.  Fitch  were  ordained.  The 
present  acting  elders  are :  T.  Stillwell,  C.  R.  McCulloch  I.  M. 
Keeler,  E.  Loudenslager,  and  John  G.  Fitch. 

SOCIETIES. 

The  Ladies'  Church  Aid  Society  was  organized  INIay  3,  1869 
the  Woman's  Foreign  Missionary  Society,  January  3,   1878 
the  Young  Ladies'  Home  Missionary  Societj^  in  October,  1879 
the  Do-Something  Mission  Band  in  1879 ;  the  Young  People's 
Association,  May  25,  1883. 

The  present  officers  of  the  Woman's  Foreign  Missionary 
Society  are :  Miss  Lucy  E.  Keeler,  president ;  Mrs.  C.  S.  Beel- 
man  and  Mrs.  J.  P.  Moore,  vice-presidents ;  Mrs.  Geo.  H.  Otis, 
secretary,  and  Mrs.  H.  G.  Sheldon,  treasurer. 

The  officers  of  the  Home  Missionary  Society  are :  Mrs.  W.  P. 
Vrooman,  president;  Mrs.  H.  A.  Van  Epps,  vice-president; 
Miss  Clara  Stahl,  secretary,  and  Mrs.  L.  Wilson,  treasurer. 

The  officers  of  the  Ladies'  Aid  Society  are:   Mrs.    George 


THE   CHURCH  IN  FREMONT.  397 

Zimmerman,  president;  Mrs.  Mary  Hedrich,  vice-president; 
Mrs.  Clara  Heim,  secretary,  and  Mrs.  George  Kinney,  treasurer. 
The  officers  of  the  Young  People's  Association  are :  Miss 
Mary  O.  Miller,  president;  Gilbert  Hall  and  Miss  Helen  G. 
Millis,  vice-presidents ;  Miss  Lara  Cox,  secretary,  and  Wesley 
Fouke,  treasurer. 

MANSE. 

In  the  summer  of  1890  an  excellent  parsonage  was  erected 
at  a  cost  of  $4000.  The  committee  having  the  matter  of  build- 
ing in  charge  were  E.  Loudenslager,  J.  Fitch,  A.  E.  Rice,  and 
S.  Brinkerhoff. 

PASTORAL    REMINISCENCES. 

Rev.  E.  Bushnell,  d.  d.,  whose  pastorate  in  this  church  was 
the  longest  it  has  had,  on  the  occasion  of  the  semi-centennial 
related  some  interesting  experiences  which  he  had  during  his 
term  of  service.  The  following  are  not  only  interesting,  but  of 
such  value  that  we  cannot  refrain  from  giving  them  a  place  in 
this  history  of  the  church. 

He  said  :  "  Some  of  the  deepest  impressions  made  upon  my 
mind  were  produced  by  occurrences  which  very  few  witnessed, 
and  not  many  ever  knew  of;  e.g.,  my  practical  estimate  of 
Pantheism  was  formed  by  conversations  which  I  had  with  an 
old  man  shortly  before  his  death.  He  had  sent  for  me  to  come 
and  see  him,  and  he  said  to  me :  '  I  have  been  accustomed  to 
commune  with  my  Maker  as  I  have  seen  Him  in  the  clouds, 
and  heard  Him  in  the  winds,  and  beheld  His  presence  in  the 
aspects  of  nature.  But  now  I  need  Him,  and  He  is  not  here. 
I  feel  after  Him,  but  I  cannot  find  Him.  All  is  vacancy,  and  I 
want  you  to  tell  me  what  is  the  Gospel  which  you  preach.  I 
don't  know  it.'  I  told  him  as  simply  as  I  could ;  and  he  wanted 
me  to  come  and  see  him  the  next  day.  Then  he  said  :  '  I  have 
carefully  thought  over  what  you  said,  and  it  all  seems  reason- 
able and  adapted  to  me.  But  yet  I  can't  believe.  Oh  !  I  would 
give  the  world  if  I  only  could  believe !'  and  he  wrung  his 
hands  in  utter  anguish.     In  a  week  or  two,  however,  he  seemed 


398  HISTORY  OF   THE   CHURCHES. 

to  find  rest.  I  luivu  passed  by  liis  grave-stone  many  times,  but 
never  without  thinking  of  his  sad  words. 

"  Another  case  which  deeply  impressed  me  was  that  of  a 
cooper,  whom  none  of  the  church  knew,  so  far  as  I  ever  learned. 
He  had  called  me  to  bury  a  child,  and  I  saw  that  he  also 
would  pass  away  before  long.  As  he  was  poor,  I  feared  that  he 
might  be  in  want,  and  called  to  inquire.  This  led  to  a 
second  visit,  though  there  was  no  occasion  for  material  help. 
He  was  very  neatly  dressed,  and  lying  on  a  lounge.  He  soon 
gave  expression  to  the  conviction  that  his  days  were  few.  I 
then  asked  him  if  he  felt  prepared  for  what  seemed  to  be  before 
him.  He  replied  :  '  I  have  been  in  the  habit  of  believing  that 
we  shall  all  be  saved.'  Then  I  simply  asked  him  one  ques- 
tion, namely,  '  Do  you  think  that  a  good  reason  for  neglecting 
to  repent  of  sin  and  believe  on  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  ?'  The 
effect  of  this  question  for  a  moment  alarmed  me ;  for  he 
bounded  from  his  reclining  posture,  burst  into  violent  weeping, 
and  exclaimed,  '  Oh !  but  this  matter  ought  to  have  been 
attended  to  before.'  This  incident  remains  in  my  mind  as  an 
illustration  of  the  practical  worthlessness  of  Universalism. 
This  man  lived  some  weeks  and  seemed  to  come  to  true  faith. 

"  Another  case  of  a  different  kind  :  About  fifteen  j-ears  since 
there  appeared  to  be  some  unusual  seriousness  in  the  congrega- 
tion. I  asked  persons  to  remain  after  prayer-meeting  if  they 
wished  for  personal  conversation.  One  evening  two  ladies  re- 
mained. One  of  them  said  she  habitually  read  the  Bible  and 
prayed.  '  But,'  she  said,  '  I  don't  think  I  am  right.'  I  told 
her  I  would  call  next  day  and  she  might  tell  me  her  diffi- 
culties; but  I  could  not  do  it,  and  two  subsequent  attempts  to 
find  her  failed  till  two  Sabbaths  had  passed.  ]\Ieanwhile  on 
the  evening  of  the  second  Sabbath,  about  an  hour  before 
church  time,  I  felt  unaccountably  averse  to  preaching  the 
sermon  I  had  prepared  ;  I  threw  it  aside  and  preached  on  a 
totally  different  theme.  On  Monday  I  found  the  lady  and  in- 
quired into  her  difficulties.  '  Oh  ! '  said  she,  '  you  removed 
them  last  night.'  And  from  that  on  slie  was  an  unwavering 
Christian." 


OLENA    CHURCH.  399 

OLENA  CHURCH. 

This  church  was  organized  at  the  house  of  Daniel  S.  Morse, 
in  Bronson  Township,  Huron  County,  April  23,  1835,  by  a 
committee  of  Huron  Presbytery,  consisting  of  Rev.  E.  Conger 
and  Deacon  Joseph  Pierce,  with  fifteen  members,  eight  male 
and  seven  female. 

It  was  organized  as  a  Presbyterian  church,  and  named  "  The 
Presbyterian  Church  in  Bronson."  The  Confession  of  Faith 
and  Covenant  prepared  by  the  Presbj^ery,  and  in  general  use 
throughout  that  body,  was  the  basis  on  which  this  church  was 
formed.  At  the  time  of  the  organization,  in  April,  there  were 
no  elders  elected  ;  but  on  the  6th  of  June  following  the  church 
met  at  the  Centre  School-house  and  elected  Thomas  Lawrence 
elder  for  three  years,  John  Hagaman  for  two  years,  and  Daniel 
S.  Morse  for  one  3^ear.  The  use  of  the  school-house  as  a  place 
of  worship  was  objectionable  to  a  few  of  the  inhabitants,  and 
the  place  of  meeting  was  soon  changed  to  Angell's  Corners — 
now  Olena. 

The  church  continued  with  usual  prosperity  under  the 
labors  of  Rev.  T.  Kennan  and  Rev.  J.  Edwards  until  the  spring 
of  1840.  At  this  time  Rev.  E.  P.  Salmon  commenced  preach- 
ing to  this  people.  He  had  before  this  been  preaching  to  the 
church  of  Peru.  While  officiating  there  he  had  been  tried  by 
the  Presbytery  on  the  charge  of  falsehood  in  business  transac- 
tions. The  charge  was  not  fully  sustained,  though  Mr.  Salmon 
was  reproved  by  the  Presbytery  for  the  imprudent  use  of 
language.  Not  improving,  he  was,  two  years  later,  in  1840, 
arraigned  upon  the  charge  of  using  harsh  and  slanderous  lan- 
guage, of  falsehood,  and  of  striving  to  destroy  the  peace  and 
prosperity  of  the  church  of  Peru,  with  other  misconduct.  This 
time  the  charges  were  .sustained,  and  Mr.  Salmon  was  sus- 
pended from  the  ministry  for  one  year,  and  longer  unless  he 
gave  satisfactory  evidence  of  repentance.  His  conduct  was, 
however,  so  defiant  of  all  Presbyterian,  or  Church  law,  that  in 
the  following  year,  1841,  he  was  solemnly  deposed  from  the 


400  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCHES. 

ministry.  He  proved  to  be  a  troublesome  man,  but  lie  had  his 
friends.  In  the  spring  of  1840  the  subject  of  the  erection  of  a 
house  of  worship  began  to  be  agitated  by  the  Bronson  church 
people.  Mr.  Salmon  was  at  that  time  their  minister.  The 
church  was  unanimous  as  to  the  necessity  of  a  building,  but 
was  divided  as  to  the  location.  The  members  living  near  the 
Centre  desired  it  located  there,  while  those  in  the  vicinity  of 
Angell's  Corners  regarded  that  as  the  better  location.  The 
division  of  sentiment  resulted  in  a  division  of  the  church. 
The  Centre  portion,  under  the  lead  of  their  minister,  Mr. 
Salmon,  who  still  continued  to  preach  in  defiance  of  his  depo- 
sition by  the  Presbytery,  withdrew,  and  formed  a  Congrega- 
tional Society,  taking  with  tliem  the  records  of  the  church. 
This  division  took  awa}'  u  large  part  of  the  membership.  They 
renounced  the  Presbyterian  organization  and  their  connection 
with  Huron  Presbytery.  The  remnant  of  the  church  applied 
to  Presbytery  for  advice  in  the  autumn  of  1840,  requesting  still 
to  be  considered  the  Presbyterian  Church  of  Bronson,  and 
under  the  care  of  the  Presbytery.  The  request  was  granted, 
and  the  people  were  advised  to  continue  their  meetings.  They 
soon  erected  a  small  frame  building  in  Olena,  which  in  after 
years  was  still  used  as  a  Sabbath-school  room  when  the  larger 
house  was  in  use.  The  Congregational  church,  soon  after  their 
secession,  erected  a  house  of  worship  a  mile  north  of  the  Centre, 
on  land  which  was  donated  by  Mr.  Bethuel  Cole.  It  continued 
in  a  fair  degree  of  prosperity  until  the  organization  of  the  Con- 
gregational Church  in  Norwalk,  when  it  was  disbanded. 

During  the  year  from  February,  1841,  to  April,  1842,  the 
Presbyterian  church  of  Olena  was  under  the  care  of  Rev.  E. 
Scott.  In  July,  1842,  Rev.  E.  P.  Sperry  commenced  preaching 
one-half  his  time,  giving  the  other  half  to  the  church  of  Peru. 
From  this  time  to  tlie  present  these  two  churches  have  been 
united  under  one  ministry.  Mr.  Sperry  continued  to  supply 
until  March,  1846.  For  a  few  months  succeeding  him  Rev.  A. 
H.  Barr  preached  to  these  churches.  In  Februar}' ,  1847,  Rev. 
J.  M.  Hayes  began  to  labor  here,  and  continued  for  about  three 


OLENA    CHURCH.  401 

years,  when  he  retired  to  take  charge  of  the  Young  Ladies' 
School  in  Norwalk.  From  December,  1850,  to  December,  1851, 
Rev.  Joel  Talcott  was  the  stated  supply.  He  was  followed  by 
Rev.  E.  Conger,  who  began  his  labors  in  February,  1852,  and 
continued  till  June,  1855.  In  August  of  this  latter  year  Rev. 
John  McCutchen  commenced  his  ministrations,  and  served 
these  churches  for  five  years. 

He  was  followed  in  a  few  months  by  Mr.  J.  D.  McCord,  a 
licentiate  from  the  Congregational  Council  of  Cincinnati.  His 
services  began  with  September,  1861.  He  was  received  by  the 
Presbytery  in  October,  1861,  and  on  the  16th  of  September, 
1862,  he  was  ordained  and  installed  pastor.  In  March,  1865, 
this  relation  was  dissolved.  In  the  following  May  Rev.  Hub- 
bard Lawrence  began  to  supply  these  congregations,  and  con- 
tinued until  April,  1868.  From  that  time  to  January,  1870, 
the  church  was  without  a  stated  ministry,  but  was  partially 
supplied  by  Rev.  Marcus  Palmer,  the  quondam  missionary  to 
the  Indians. 

In  December,  1869,  Rev.  T.  D.  Bartholomew  began  to  min- 
ister to  these  churches,  and  officiated  till  the  beginning  of  the 
year  1878.  He  was  succeeded  by  the  Rev.  A.  Cone  in  Febru- 
ary, 1878,  who  served  till  April,  1881.  In  February,  1882, 
Rev.  T.  C.  Thomas  entered  this  field,  and  preached  until 
December,  1885.  After  he  retired,  until  the  autumn  of  1887, 
the  ministerial  supply  was  mainly  through  the  students  of 
(3berlin.  In  the  summer  of  1887  Mr.  James  P.  O'Brien,  an 
alumnus  of  the  College  and  Seminary  of  Oberlin,  began 
preaching  to  this  people,  and,  being  called  to  the  pastorate,  at 
a  meeting  of  the  Presbytery  held  at  Olena  on  the  31st  of  Octo- 
ber, 1887,  he  was  ordained  and  then  installed.  He  continued 
the  active  and  acceptable  minister  till  September  1,  1890. 
Since  that  time  several  ministers  and  licentiates  have,  in  turn, 
visited  and  preached  to  this  church. 


26 


402  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCHES. 

HOUSE    OF    WORSHIP. 

The  small  building  erected  in  1841-42  served  the  purposes 
of  the  congregation  for  twenty  years.  In  1861  need  was  felt 
for  a  larger  and  better  building,  and  the  present  brick  sanc- 
tuary was  erected,  it  is  said,  mainly  through  the  earnest  efforts 
of  Elder  Thomas  Lawrence.  The  cost  was  something  over 
$2300.  It  contains  a  fine  bell,  the  cost  of  which  was  $450. 
There  is  also  a  pleasant  pastor's  manse,  which  is  valued  at 
about  $2000. 

This  church  has  passed  through  many  trials  and  discourag- 
ing circumstances.  It  has  experienced  serious  difficulties 
within  itself,  yet  it  has  survived  them  all,  and  now,  with  its 
membership  of  over  an  hundred,  bids  fair  for  the  future. 

ELDERSHIP    AND    GROWTH. 

This  church  has  been  mainly  Presbyterian  in  government. 
Its  elders  have  been,  in  the  order  of  their  election,  as  follows  : 
Thomas  Lawrence,  John  Ernsberger,  Jacob  Shepherd,  John 
Langan,  James  Park,  Nathan  C.  Spencer,  deorge  Conklin, 
Ebenezer  Osborn,  Abijah  Burras,  and  John  B.  Darling. 

The  session  is  now  composed  of  John  Ernsberger,  James 
Park,  Abijah  Burras,  and  John  B.  Darling. 

Not  much  change  has  been  made  in  all  these  years  in  this 
board  of  spiritual  managers  of  this  fold.  The  church  has  not 
grown  rapidly,  or  at  any  time  by  very  large  accessions.  Yet, 
with  all  its  trials,  it  has  had  some  precious  seasons  of  quicken- 
ing grace,  in  which  the  blessing  of  God  has  been  realized.  In 
1848  there  was  such  a  season,  resulting  in  the  addition  of 
seven  to  the  church.  In  1852  there  was  another,  when  eleven 
were  received,  while  the  older  members  were  sensibly  quick- 
ened. In  1859  there  was  a  deeper  awakening  in  the  com- 
munity, which  brought  into  fellowship  with  God's  people 
thirty-two  persons.  Another  in  1861  added  fourteen.  In 
1872-73  the  revival  wave,  which  reached  out  in  all  directions 
from  Norwalk,  visited  this  place,  and  forty-four  souls  were  the 
fruits  gathered.     Then,  again,  in  1882  there  were  twenty-seven 


THE  CHURCH  OF  HURON.  403 

additions.  These  seasons  were  all  regarded  as  special,  the 
church  was  revived,  and  the  truth  was  more  than  ordinarily 
effective. 

SABBATH  SCHOOL   AND   MISSIONS. 

The  Sabbath  school  was  organized  about  the  year  1840. 
The  earlier  superintendents  were  :  Thomas  Lawrence,  John 
Ernsberger,  James  Langan,  Josepli  Brown,  and  Joseph  Park. 
Mr.  James  Park  is  the  present  superintendent,  and  has  been 
continued  in  the  oflBce  for  twenty -seven  years.  The  school  is 
in  a  flourishing  state,  and  is  doing  good  work. 

The  Woman's  Missionary  Society  was  organized  in  1875, 
under  the  ministry  of  Rev.  T.  D.  Bartholomew.  The  ofiicers 
then  chosen  were :  Mrs.  James  Park,  president ;  Mrs.  T.  D. 
Bartholomew,  vice-president;  Mrs.  David  Summerliss,  secre- 
tary, and  Mrs.  James  H.  Herrick,  treasurer. 

A  few  years  later,  under  the  ministry  of  Mr.  Thomas,  when 
the  society  was  doubtless  brought  into  the  presbyterial  arrange- 
ment of  women's  societies,  the  officials  were :  Mrs.  M.  E. 
Thomas,  president ;  Mrs.  R.  Park,  vice-president ;  Mrs.  E.  M. 
Burras,  secretary,  and  Mrs.  W.  T.  Hall,  treasurer. 

The  officers  now  are :  Mrs.  James  Park,  president ;  Mrs.  Abi- 
jah  Burras,  vice-president ;  Mrs.  Robert  Park,  secretary,  and 
Mrs.  William  L.  Burras,  treasurer. 


THE  CHURCH  OF  HURON. 

By  Rev.  W.  T.  Hart. 

One  of  the  first  things  that  attracts  our  attention  is  the  fact 
that  until  so  late  a  period  there  was  no  church  organization 
here  of  any  kind.  This  township  had  some  inhabitants  before 
the  War  of  1812,  and  after  the  war  was  over  it  soon  began  to 
be  occupied.  .Just  when  the  town  at  the  mouth  of  the  river 
was  founded,  I  have  not  been  able  to  learn.  As  early  as  1824 
there  were  a  few  houses  here.  John  W.  Wickham,  Sr.,  says 
that  when  he  came  here,  in  1833,  there  was  a  population  of 


404  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCHES. 

one  thousand,  and  that  by  1835  Huron  was  as  large  as  it  is  now; 
and  that  bj^  1837-8  there  was  a  population  of  two  thousand. 
And  yet  there  was  no  church  organization  here  of  any  kind 
till  1835,  and  very  little  preaching.  This  seems  all  the  more 
strange  when  we  remember  that  in  towns  all  about  there  were 
churches  founded  at  a  very  early  day.  At  Lyme  a  church  was 
organized  in  1817.  At  Spear's  Corners,  now  Avery,  a  church 
was  organized  April  25,  1818,  and  called  the  Congregational 
and  Presbyterian  Church  of  Huron.  It  was  soon  moved  to 
Milan,  and  became  the  Presbyterian  church  of  Milan.  In 
that  same  year,  1818,  a  church  was  organized  at  Florence 
and  Vermillion  ;  and  in  1823  a  Congregational  church  was 
organized  at  Berlin.  In  1820  Rev,  Lot  B.  Sullivan  preached 
half  of  his  time  in  the  school-house  near  Philo  Adams.  At 
a  very  early  day — some  say  as  early  as  1811 — Alvan  Coe 
taught  school  in  the  town,  and  was  accustomed  to  hold 
religious  services.  Afterward  he  went  into  the  ministry, 
and  came  back  and  preached  occasionally.  After  Rev.  E. 
Judson  came  to  INIilan,  in  1829,  he  was  accustomed  to  come  to 
Huron  to  preach  occasionally,  and  in  the  summer  of  1834  he 
preached  alternate  Sabbaths,  at  5  p.  m.,  in  the  school-house. 

In  1834  Rev.  A.  Newton  visited  Huron.  The  people  were 
pleased  with  him  and  asked  him  to  remain  with  them,  but  he 
declined  and  returned  to  the  East.  The  next  year  he  accepted 
a  call  to  the  Presbyterian  church  of  Norwalk,  of  which  he  was 
pastor  for  thirty -five  years. 

CHURCH    ORGANIZED. 

This  church,  the  first  in  the  town  of  Huron,  was  organized 
February  10,  1835.  It  appears  that  Rev.  J.  W.  Beecher  came 
to  this  place  in  1834.  He  bought  the  lot  now  owned  and  occu- 
pied by  Mr.  Winchell.  It  was  covered  with  hazel  brush.  This 
he  cleared  off,  and  here  he  built  him  a  small  house.  In  front 
of  his  house,  partly  in  the  street  and  partly  in  the  corner  of 
the  park,  stood  the  school-house.  This  school-house  was  after- 
ward moved  to  the  corner  of  the  street  where  now  stands  what 


THE  CHURCH  OF  HURON.  405 

is  known  as  Pierce's  blacksmith  sliop.  It  was  afterward  moved 
again,  and  is  now  a  part  of  the  house  owned  and  occupied  by 
Mr.  Duncan.  It  appears  that  a  committee  was  appointed  by 
Huron  Presbytery  to  visit  this  place  and  organize  a  church,  if 
thought  best;  and  this  is  a  record  of  the  meeting  that  was 
held  :— 

"  At  a  meeting  convened  at  Huron,  on  Tuesday,  the  10th 
day  of  February,  1835,  for  the  purpose  of  taking  into  consider- 
ation the  propriety  of  organizing  a  Presbyterian  church  in  that 
village,  the  following  persons  presented  certificates  of  member- 
ship in  their  respective  churches,  and  of  dismission  from  the 
same,  viz.:  John  T.  Roberts,  Margaret  Roberts,  Jerusha  Jen- 
kins, Clarissa  Homan,  Lucretia  Newkirk,  and  Mary  Jones,  of 
the  church  in  Milan,  0.;  Alpheus  Sheffield  and  Dorothy  Shef- 
field, of  the  church  in  Painesville;  Richard  Morrill  and  Jane 
Morrill,  of  the  church  in  Mount  Leigh,  0.;  Eli  Holliday,  Cath- 
erine Holliday,  Horace  Holliday,  of  the  church  in  Greenfield, 
C;  Achsa  Beecher,  of  the  church  in  Woodbury,  Conn.  Josiali 
Tracy  and  Cynthia  Wadsworth  were  received  upon  profession 
of  their  faith. 

"  The  above  individuals  were  unanimous  in  their  willingness 
to  abstain  from  the  use  and  traffic  in  ardent  spirits,  as  an 
article  of  drink,  and  it  is  their  wish  that  the  church  should 
be  organized  and  governed  on  the  same  principles. 

"  The  Confession  of  Faith  and  Covenant  recommended  by 
Huron  Presbytery  was  then  adopted.  The  members  present 
gave  their  assent  to  the  Confession  and  Covenant,  and  were 
declared  to  be  a  church  of  Jesus  Christ  and  entitled  to  all  its 
ordinances  and  privileges. 

"  Eli  Holliday  and  Richard  Morrill  were  elected  elders  and 
deacons.  Adjourned  to  meet  at  the  school-house  at  six  o'clock 
this  evening.     Closed  with  prayer. 

"  Met  in  the  evening  at  the  school-house  according  to  adjourn- 
ment, and  after  a  sermon  by  Enoch  Conger,  from  Proverbs  xi, 
30,  '  He  that  winneth  souls  is  wise,'  the  elders  or  deacons-elect 


406  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCHES. 

were  regularly  ordained  and  installed  into  their  office  as  elders 
or  deacons  of  this  church." 

This  record  of  the  meeting  was  signed  by  Rev.  Messrs.  Enoch 
Conger,  Xenophon  Betts,  and  E.  Judson,  they  constituting  the 
committee  who  organized  the  church. 

This  was  the  first  church  organized  in  Huron.  It  had  a 
membership  of  fifteen — six  males  and  nine  females. 

HOUSES   OF   WOKSHIP.* 

The  school-house  was  soon  moved  to  the  corner  now  occupied 
by  the  blacksmith  shop.  The  church  continued  to  worship 
there  until  about  1840,  when  they  were  unexpectedly  favored 
with  a  more  comfortable  and  commodious  house  of  worship. 
Ara  Sprague,  Jabez  Wright,  James  Sly,  and  Josiah  Tracy  each 
owned  a  quarter  interest  in  the  house  now  occupied  by  Mr.  Al- 
vord.  This  house  was  seated  and  furnished  for  church  services. 
The  owners  then  allowed  the  congregation  the  use  of  it  for 
worship  for  a  small  sum  per  year.  That  was  the  home  of  this 
church  from  about  1840  to  1854. 

After  Rev.  C.  H.  Taylor  came  to  Huron  as  minister  of  this 
church,  in  1850,  the  work  of  preparation  for  a  new  house  of 
worship  began,  and  was  prosecuted  with  great  energy.  Mr. 
Taylor  himself  entered  into  the  work  with  zeal,  and  it  is  some- 
times called  Mr.  Taylor's  monument.  But  he  was  ably  assisted 
by  the  Building  Committee,  consisting  of  J.  W.  Sprague,  Clark 
Woodward,  and  Horace  Holliday. 

The  following  is  from  the  church  records,  in  the  handwriting 
of  J.  W.  Sprague,  who  was  church  clerk  : — 

"  Huron,  January  4,  1854.  Pursuant  to  appointment  and 
notice,  Presbytery  met,  and  the  church  edifice,  just  erected  and 
completed  by  this  church,  was  dedicated  to  the  service  of 
Almighty  God.  Dedicator}^  prayer  by  Rev.  E.  Cole;  dedicatory 
sermon  by  Rev.  C.  H.  Taylor.  In  the  afternoon  Presbytery 
again  met,  and  Rev.  C.  H.  Taylor  was  ordained  and  installed 
pastor  of  this  church." 

The  history  of  the  church  buildings  would  be  incomplete 
without  mention  of  the  comfortable  parsonage  erected  in  1884, 


THE  CHURCH  OF  HURON.  407 

THE    MINISTRY. 

This  church  has  had  the  services  of  eighteen  pastors  and 
stated  supplies,  as  follows,  with  the  number  received  by  each 
Rev.  J.  W.  Beecher,  from  1835  to  1837,  35  accessions.  Rev. 
Ferris  Fitch,  from  October,  1837,  to  January,  1838,  13  acces- 
sions. Rev.  Seth  S.  Smalley,  from  August,  1839,  to  April,  1841, 
2  accessions.  Rev.  S.  Dunton,  from  February,  1842,  to  May, 
1844,  19  accessions.  Rev.  E.  Cole,  from  December,  1844,  to 
January,  1850,  7  accessions.  Rev.  C.  H.  Taylor,  from  October, 
1850,  to  March,  1858,  46  accessions.  Rev.  W.  T.  Millikin,  from 
June,  1858,  to  November,  1858.  Rev.  Dr.  George  E.  Pierce, 
from  March,  1859,  to  June,  1859,  2  accessions.  Rev.  J.  G.  Ros- 
siter,  from  June,  1859,  to  September,  1865,  35  accessions.  Rev. 
J.  D.  Jenkins,  from  January,  1866,  to  July,  1866,  3  accessions. 
Rev.  H.  B.  Dye,  from  October,  1866,  to  March,  1871,  26  acces- 
sions. Rev.  A.  Baker,  from  January,  1872,  to  July,  1873,  44 
accessions.  Rev.  H.  B.  Rice,  from  June,  1871,  to  October,  1871. 
Rev.  C.  K.  Smoyer,  from  August,  1873,  to  November,  1878,  31 
accessions.  Rev.  J.  H.  Snowden,  from  March,  1879,  to  Janu- 
ary, 1883,  26  accessions.  Rev.  E.  L.  Dresser,  from  April,  1883, 
to  October,  1885,  30  accessions.  Rev.  E.  O.  Hoyt,  from  Novem- 
ber, 1885,  to  May,  1886.  Rev.  W.  T.  Hart,  from  May,  1886,  to 
August,  1892,  83  accessions. 

ELDERS    AND    DEACONS. 

In  the  early  history  of  this  church  those  who  were  elected  to 
the  office  of  elder  held  also  that  of  deacon.  The  first  elders 
or  deacons  were  Eli  Plolliday  and  Richard  Morrill.  Septem- 
ber 3,  1838,  Josiah  Tracy  and  Benjamin  Turner  were  chosen 
elders,  and  Giles  Chapin  deacon.  June  13, 1857,  James  Ander- 
son, Horace  Holliday,  Squire  L.  Wilson,  and  J.  W.  Sprague  were 
elected  elders,  or  deacons.  Mr.  Sprague  declined  to  serve. 
November  14,  1863,  Ljanan  Scott  was  elected  elder.  May  2, 
1869,  Dr.  J.  T.  Gushing  and  Stark  Adams  were  chosen  elders. 
March  23, 1877,  A.  J.  Brainard  and  Reuben  Turner  were  elected. 
At  that  time  Mr.  Turner  declined  to  serve.     October  20,  1881, 


408  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCHES. 

Mr.  Turner  was  again  chosen,  as  was  also  Dr.  E.  J.  Goodsell. 
The  latter  has  removed  to  Norwalk,  and  there  have  been  added 
by  election  and  ordination  to  the  session  in  1888-9 :  Charles 
Anderson,  James  Anderson,  Horace  H.  Brundage,  and  George 
Rosekelly.  Since  that  time  Charles  Anderson  has  been  dis- 
missed by  letter,  and  the  board  of  elders  is  now  composed  of 
A.  J.  Brainard,  Reuben  Turner,  James  Anderson,  Horace  H. 
Brundage,  and  George  Rosekelly. 

REVIVALS   AND   GROWTH. 

This  church  has  been  blessed  wnth  some  ver}^  precious  re- 
vivals. Perhaps  the  most  extensive  was  that  of  1873,  when 
Rev.  Alvin  Baker  was  pastor.  In  that  year  there  was  a  very 
general  work  of  grace  throughout  this  region,  and  thousands 
were  added  to  the  various  churches  in  this  and  the  adjoining 
counties.  Thirty-four  were  reported  as  received  that  year,  the 
largest  number  in  any  one  year  in  the  history  of  the  church. 
The  next  largest  number  received  in  any  one  year  was  that  of 
1887,  when  twenty-five  were  added.  The  next  largest  was  the 
number  of  twenty-one  received  in  six  months  of  Mr.  Smoyer's 
first  year.     The  next  w^as  the  twenty  received  by  Mr.  Dresser. 

Of  the  first  half  of  all  the  members  added  to  this  fold  the 
greater  number  were  by  letter ;  of  the  second  half  much  the 
larger  number  have  been  by  profession  of  their  faith. 

The  church  began  with  a  membership  of  fifteen.  In  1853 
the  whole  number  in  communion  was  thirty-six,  though  there 
had  been  upon  the  roll  100  names,  a  fact  generally  observable 
in  this  region,  and  showing  the  frequency  of  removals.  By 
1860  the  membership  had  grown  to  seventy.  In  1868  there 
were  eighty-one  members.  In  1874  there  were  106.  In  1880 
there  was  a  reduction  to  eighty.  In  1887  there  were  110. 
In  1889  there  were  125,  and  now,  in  1892,  with  gradual  and 
permanent  growth,  there  are  135. 


THE  CHURCH  OF  HURON.  409 

THE    SABBATH  SCHOOL. 

There  is  not  much  to  be  gathered  from  the  records  of  the 
Sabbath  school  of  this  church  during  its  earlier  years.  It  is 
known,  however,  that  Josiah  Tracy  was  the  first  superinten- 
dent, and  that  the  school  was  held  in  the  school-house.  The 
present  superintendent  is  the  pastor.  Rev.  W.  T.  Hart.  The 
state  of  the  school  is  prosperous.  It  has  upon  its  roll  over  two 
hundred  and  eighty  names. 

A  Young  People's  Society  of  Christian  Endeavor  was  organ- 
ized in  May,  1887.  It  proves  to  be  one  of  the  helpful  features 
of  the  church. 

MISSIONARY    SOCIETY. 

The  ladies  have  had  their  Society  for  Missions.  The  one 
organization  embraces  the  interests  of  both  the  home  and 
foreign  work. 

The  first  president  of  this  Society  was  Mrs.  J.  H.  Snowden. 
Since  the  organization,  besides  Mrs.  Snowden,  Mrs.  J.  P.  Escli, 
Mrs.  E.  L.  Dresser,  Mrs.  E.  J.  Goodsell,  Mrs.  C.  B.  Hart,  and, 
perhaps,  others  have  presided.  The  present  officers  are  :  Presi- 
dent, Mrs.  W.  T.  Hart ;  secretary.  Miss  Lilian  Ball,  and  treas- 
urer, Mrs.  Henry  Hull. 

GENERAL. 

At  the  formation  of  this  church  the  form  of  government 
adopted  was  the  Presbyterian,  but,  by  a  unanimous  vote,  it  was 
agreed  and  stipulated  that  all  in  its  connection  who  should 
prefer  the  Congregational  mode  of  government  might  enjoy  all 
the  privileges  of  a  Congregational  church. 

The  providences  connected  with  the  organization  of  the 
church,  and  which  have  followed  it  throughout  its  history, 
and  in  the  gracious  revivals  which  it  has  enjoyed,  show  that  it 
has  been  under  Divine  care,  and  has  had  the  Divine  favor.  It 
has  been  kept  from  any  serious  divisions  or  dissensions,  and 
has  had  a  steady  and  permanent  groAvth. 


410  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCHES. 

THE  CHURCH  OF  BLOOM VILLE. 

As  the  older  records  of  this  church  have  been  lost,  it  is  im- 
possible to  give  a  full  and  exact  account  of  all  that  has  con- 
cerned it.  Yet  the  following  facts  have  been  gathered  from  a 
brief  statement  made  by  Rev.  A.  D.  Chapman  in  1853,  and 
from  items  given  by  Elders  E.  J.  Turner  and  A.  B.  McClelland, 
with  reminiscences  by  Mrs.  James  L.  Watson,  of  Toledo. 

This  region  was  a  part  of  the  ground  reached  by  llev.  James 
Robinson.  The  Presbyterian  people  in  this  community  first 
united  with  the  church  at  Melmore.  Mr.  Robinson  began  to 
preach  there  in  1828,  and  in  that  year  that  churcli  was  organ- 
ized. He  began  to  preach  in  the  Bloomville  neighborhood 
soon  after,  but  just  how  soon  is  not  known.  In  1834  the  Rev. 
John  McCutchen  began  to  preach  here.  He  succeeded  in 
securing  a  house  of  worship,  and  under  his  ministry  the  church 
was  organized.  The  Presbytery  of  Huron  met  here  January 
14,  1835,  and  effected  the  organization.  There  were  forty- 
seven  members,  twenty-five  males  and  twenty-two  females, 
mostly  from  the  church  of  Melmore.  It  was  called  the  Union 
Presbyterian  Church  of  Bloomville.  The  form  of  the  Confes- 
sion of  Faith  and  Covenant  in  general  use  throughout  the  Pres- 
bytery was  adopted,  and  a  temperance  pledge  was  made  a  con- 
dition of  reception  to  communion.  James  Boyd,  Samuel 
Ralston,  and  John  C.  Martin  were  the  first  elders.  Mr.  Mc- 
Cutchen came  from  the  Presbytery  of  Columbus  as  a  licentiate, 
and  was  ordained  by  the  Presbytery  of  Huron.  He  supplied 
the  churches  of  Bloomville,  Scipio,  and  Melmore,  the  latter  for 
only  two  or  three  years,  but  was  not  installed  over  either  of 
them  until  December  2,  1840,  when  he  was  made  pastor  of  the 
church  of  Scipio,  but  only  continued  in  this  relation  a  few 
months.  He  served  the  church  of  Bloomville,  in  connection 
with  the  other  two,  from  its  organization  till  1840.  He  preached 
at  each  of  the  points  on  the  same  Sabbath,  often  walking  from 
place  to  place  when  the  roads  were  bad  or  the  weather  cold, 
rather  than  go  on  horseback,  his  usual  method  of  conveyance. 


THE  CHURCH  OF  BLOOMVILLE.  •'  411 

He  was  a  strong  man,  endured  a  great  deal  of  hard  labor,  and 
was  greatly  successful  as  a  revivalist.  At  Bloomville,  with  the 
assistance  of  Revs.  E.  Conger  and  E.  Judson,  he  conducted  a 
revival  service,  resulting  in  about  eighty  additions  to  the 
church.  He  assisted  in  such  work  at  other  points,  and  was 
not  afraid  to  denounce  sin  and  to  proclaim  the  law  of  God. 
While  many  were  brought  to  repentance,  in  some  sin  revived 
in  such  a  way  as  to  vent  itself  on  the  minister.  On  one  oc- 
casion, while  Mr.  McCutchen  was  assisting  at  a  protracted 
service  at  Greenfield,  his  horse's  mane  and  tail  were  clipped, 
rather  spoiling  the  beauty  of  the  animal.  The  design  was,  of 
course,  to  provoke  the  preacher  ratlier  than  the  horse.  Possi- 
bly the  beast's  pride  was  somewhat  wounded,  but  his  speed,  or 
ability  to  carry  his  master,  was  not  diminished ;  and  he  con- 
tinued to  be  honored  by  the  faithful  minister,  and  to  carry  him 
wherever  he  went  to  preach  the  Word.  After  Mr.  McCutchen, 
Dr.  Jabez  Spicer  preached  for  a  few  months.  He  was  suc- 
ceeded by  Rev.  Samuel  Dunton,  wlio  served  the  church  till 
1843.  He  was  followed  by  Rev.  John  N.  Whipple,  from  1843 
to  1846.  After  him  Rev.  John  Steel  supplied  for  one  year. 
Then  came,  in  1848,  the  Rev.  Abner  D.  Chapman,  who  served 
the  two  churches  of  Bloom  and  Melmore  as  supply  until  Ma}^ 
•1851,  when  he  was  installed,  becoming  the  first  pastor  of  these 
churches.  The  relation  continued  till  1853,  when  Mr.  Chap- 
man resigned,  and  the  church  was  supplied  for  two  years,  in 
connection  with  Republic,  by  Rev.  C.  R.  Sheldon,  who  had 
been  serving  the  Republic  church  since  1850.  He  retired  from 
this  field  in  July,  1855.  Mr.  Sheldon  was  a  Congregationalist. 
He  was  succeeded  by  Rev.  Franklin  Putnam,  who  supplied 
these  two  churches  from  June,  1856,  to  some  time  in  1857,  per- 
haps about  one  year.  After  him  the  Rev.  Samuel  Montgomery 
was  supply  from  November,  1857,  to  April,  1859.  Upon  his 
leaving  the  field.  Rev.  E.  Conger,  who  had  been  preaching  at 
Melmore  since  April,  1856,  began  to  labor  at  Bloomville,  in 
connection  with  Melmore,  and  continued  at  both  places  till 
March,  1862.     There  was  then  a  space  from  1862  to  October, 


412  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCHES. 

1865,  during  which  neither  of  these  two  churches  had  a  settled 
ministry.  Then  Rev.  William  M.  Newton,  who  had  been 
ordained  on  September  G,  18G5,  entered  upon  his  labors  in  the 
Bloom  church,  in  connection  with  Republic,  preaching  occa- 
sionally at  Melmore.  In  the  following  year  he  gave  up  Re- 
public and  labored  at  the  other  two  places  until  May  1,  1871. 
During  his  ministry  the  churches  were  brought  into  a  prosper- 
ous state.  Mr.  Newton  removed  to  the  West,  and  during  the 
summer  of  1871  Mr.  Preserved  F.  Smith,  a  young  man  from 
Springfield,  Ohio,  and  a  student  of  Lane  Seminary,  supplied 
these  churches.  In  tlie  fall  of  this  year  Rev.  S.  C.  Kerr  began  to 
preach,  and  continued  for  one  year.  In  December,  1872,  J.  J. 
Hawk,  a  licentiate,  commenced  to  labor  at  Bloom  and  Melmore, 
was  ordained  and  installed  pastor  on  the  3d  of  June,  1873,  and 
continued  till  April,  1875. 

From  the  1st  of  June,  1875,  for  about  six  months  the  churches 
of  Bloom  and  Republic  were  supplied  by  Rev.  A.  Baker.  In 
the  spring  of  1876  Rev.  Walton  Pattinson  took  charge  of  these 
two  churches  and  continued  as  supply  until  April,  1879.  There 
were  some  good  accessions  to  the  church  during  his  ministry. 
In  the  fall  of  1879  Rev.  E.  J.  Boyd,  of  Monroe  Presbytery, 
Michigan,  came  to  Bloomville  and  spent  the  winter  in  supply- 
ing this  church,  with  Melmore.  The  congregations  of  both 
places  wished  him  to  remain  with  them,  but  he  declined.  The 
churches  were  then  supplied  for  about  a  year  by  Mr.  L.  B, 
Lahr,  a  student  of  Heidelberg  Theological  Seminary,  a  young 
man  of  fine  promise,  and  now  doing  excellent  work  in  his  own 
denomination. 

In  the  summer  of  1881  Rev.  W.  T.  Hart,  a  member  of  the 
Presbytery  of  Huron,  and  serving  the  church  of  Lyme,  was 
invited  to  supply  the  two  churches.  He  accepted,  entering 
upon  his  work  in  November  of  that  year.  He  was  installed 
pastor  by  the  Presbytery  April  8,  1884,  but  the  relation  was 
dissolved  May  17,  1886.  His  work  was  greatly  blessed  in  this 
church  for  a  time,  a  number  being  added  to  its  roll  of  com- 
municants.     During   his   ministry  here,  however,  a  trouble 


THE  CHURCH  OF  BLOOMVILLE.  413 

sprang  up,  a  serious  one  as  it  proved,  which  for  about  two 
years  prevented  the  rich  blessing  of  God  from  descending  upon 
this  people.  The  trouble  w^as  within  the  church,  for  which  the 
pastor  was  in  no  way  responsible,  and  there  was  a  time  of  God's 
controversy  with  His  people.  Mr.  Hart  resigned  ;  and  in  Oc- 
tober of  the  same  year,  188G,  Rev.  M.  DeWitt  Long  began  to 
minister  to  this  and  the  congregation  of  Republic.  He  con- 
tinued until  September,  1891,  to  the  satisfaction  and  edification 
of  his  people.  The  sad  state  of  things  which  had  existed  was 
ere  long  removed,  peace  and  harmony  again  prevailed,  and 
there  was  reason  for  encouragement.  Mr.  Long  went  to  labor 
elsewhere ;  and  so  far  no  permanent  pastor  has  been  secured. 
Mr.  J.  A.  Patterson,  a  student  of  McCormick  Seminary,  has 
spent  the  summer  of  1892  with  the  two  united  churches.  He 
has  just  retired  to  pursue  his  studies. 

HOUSES   OF    WORSHIP. 

Early  in  the  ministry  of  Rev.  John  McCutchen  steps  were 
taken  to  secure  a  house  of  worship.  The  ground  upon  which 
it  was  decided  to  locate  it  was  near  Honey  Creek,  about  a  mile 
west  of  the  present  village.  The  spot  was  the  northwest  corner 
of  what  is  now  Woodlawn  Cemetery.  A  frame  church  was 
erected,  and  was  for  a  time  used.  In  it  the  organization  was 
effected  and  Mr.  McCutchen  ordained.  But  it  was  soon  after 
burned.  The  people  were  discouraged  somewhat.  But  with 
the  energy  of  noble  pioneers  they  decided,  without  delay,  to 
erect  a  brick  house  upon  the  same  grounds.  This  house  was 
finished  in  the  fall  of  1837  or  1838.  It  continued  to  be  used 
by  the  congregation  until  the  fall  of  1862,  when  it  was  taken 
down  and  removed  to  Bloom ville.  In  1863  it  was  rebuilt  in 
the  village,  and  some  of  the  same  material  is  in  the  house  now 
used  by  this  people.  It  was  ready  for  occupancy  by  January  1, 
1864.  It  was  built  during  a  time  when  there  was  no  stated 
ministry,  and  was  occupied  during  1864  mainly  for  Sabbath- 
school  and  prayer-meeting  services.  In  the  summer  and  fall  of 
1888  the  building  was  partly  torn  down   and  enlarged,  and 


414  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCHES. 

was  so  entirely  changed  that  it  may  be  regarded  as  a  new 
sanctuary.  The  expense  of  this  renewal  was  something  over 
$3000,  and  the  house  is  now  one  of  the  most  comely  and 
pleasant  in  the  Presbytery.  It  has  been  modernized  with  a 
large  degree  of  taste.  It  is  heated  from  beneath  the  floor,  has 
beautifully  colored  windows,  a  roomy  recess  in  the  rear  of  the 
pulpit  for  the  choir,  and  a  neat  tower  through  which  the  con- 
gregation make  their  entrance  and  exit. 

REVIVALS   AND    GROWTH. 

This  church  has  been  visited  with  a  number  of  more  or  less 
interesting  revivals.  Soon  after  the  organization,  under  the 
labors  of  Rev.  John  McCutchen,  assisted  by  Rev.  E.  Conger 
and  Rev.  E.  Judson,  an  extensive  revival  prevailed,  adding 
many  to  the  church.  Again,  in  1838-9,  Mr.  McCutchen  was 
assisted  by  Rev.  H.  A.  Reed,  and  many  conversions  were  the 
fruits  of  the  special  efforts.  There  were  other  seasons  of  interest 
in  the  years  that  followed,  but,  owing  to  the  fact  of  the  records 
being  lost,  particulars  cannot  be  gathered.  In  1866,  in  1869, 
and  again  in  1871,  under  the  ministry  of  Rev.  Wm.  M.  New- 
ton, there  were  occasions  of  awakening,  and  souls  were  added 
to  God's  people.  In  the  spring  of  1875,  under  the  labors  of 
Rev.  J.  J.  Hawk,  a  series  of  meetings  resulted  in  twenty-five 
accessions.  In  February,  1877,  fifteen  were  added  under  Rev. 
W.  Pattinson.  In  March  and  April,  1882,  Rev.  W.  T.  Hart  con- 
ducted some  special  services,  when  nineteen  were  added.  Also, 
in  1885,  there  were  a  number  of  conversions.  For  more  than 
a  year,  during  the  ministry  of  Rev.  M.  DeWitt  Long,  the 
church  was  not  in  condition  to  look  for  a  blessing.  But  since 
a  better  state  of  things  has  again  prevailed  there  have  been 
seasons  of  more  or  less  religious  interest.  In  February,  1888, 
twelve  were  added ;  and  again,  in  1889,  fifteen  professed  their 
faith  in  Jesus. 

The  growth  of  this  church  has  been  gradual.  It  has  more 
than  held  its  own,  though  suffering  sometimes  by  the  removal 
of  its  members  and  families  to  other  regions.  Its  membership 
now  is  about  one  hundred  and  fifteen. 


THE  CHURCH  OF  BLOOMVILLE.  416 

THE    ELDERSHIP. 

The  first  elders  were  James  Boyd,  Samuel  Ralston,  and  John 
C.  Martin.  Some  time  afterward,  Mr.  William  Watson  was 
added  to  the  session.  They  were  a  noble  class  of  men,  and  to 
their  number  other  worthy  names  have  been  since  added.  In 
July,  1866,  E.  J.  Turner  was  chosen.  In  1869  Isaac  Greer 
Watson  was  elected  to  fill  the  place  of  his  brother,  William,  who 
died  April  1st  of  that  year.  April  5,  1873,  A.  B.  McClelland 
was  elected.  On  the  8th  of  same  April  I.  G.  Watson  died,  and 
on  the  1st  of  June  following  Eli  Winters  and  James  T.  Boyd 
were  chosen,  the  latter  to  fill  the  place  of  his  worthy  father, 
who,  having  served  as  an  elder  from  the  organization  of  the 
church,  had  been  released  by  death  November  11,  1871. 

Although  the  son  did  not  do  honor  to  himself  or  to  his 
father,  yet  he  was  followed  with  the  earnest  prayers  of  many 
friends,  and  in  view  of  his  penitential  confessions,  the  hopes  of 
those  friends  have  followed  him  as  he  passed  behind  the  veil 
which  separates  the  here  from  the  hereafter.  He  died  in  the 
summer  of  1889. 

Elder  Samuel  Ralston  died  January  4, 1867.  Elder  John  C. 
Martin  became  dissatisfied  with  the  church  and  joined  the 
Methodists,  his  wife  being  a  Methodist.  He  afterward  became 
dissatisfied  with  these,  and  left  them,  taking  no  part  in  the  work 
of  any  church  until  his  death  in  1880. 

Eli  Winters  died  at  a  good  old  age  in  January,  1884. 

On  March  25,  1890,  the  church  adopted  the  rotary  system  of 
eldership.  The  present  session  consists  of  E.  J.  Turner,  A.  B. 
McClelland,  George  Griffin,  and  F.  A.  Chatfield. 

SABBATH    SCHOOL, 

This  school  was  organized  not  far  from  the  time  of  the 
organization  of  the  church.  The  first  superintendent  was  James 
Boyd,  who  held  the  office  till  his  death.  After  him  A.  B.  Mc- 
Clelland was  chosen  and  served  for  nine  years.  In  May,  1880, 
George  Moore  was  elected  and  served  till  1883,  when  L,  D. 


416  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCHES. 

Bevington  succeeded  him  for  two  years.  He  was  succeeded  by 
C.  H.  Shock,  who  was  followed  by  N.  M.  Brinkerhoff,  who  now 
fills  this  office. 

GENERAL. 

This  church  has  always  taken  an  interest  in  the  outside 
world  and  in  reform  movements.  Several  times  its  officials 
have  come  before  the  Presbytery  with  overtures  seeking  action 
on  some  public  question. 

In  1845  they  memorialized  the  Presbytery  on  the  subject  of 
secret  societies.  Again,  in  1846,  not  satisfied  with  the  response 
to  their  memorial  the  year  before,  they  renew  their  overture, 
and  at  the  same  time  request  some  action  on  the  subject  of 
slavery.  The  Presbytery  responded  to  both  requests,  declaring 
their  disapproval  of  the  secret  order,  and  expressing  the  opinion 
that  where  members  of  the  church  have  united  with  such 
societies,  to  the  wounding  of  their  brethren,  the  spirit  of  the 
Gospel  would  require  that  the  connection  should  be  abandoned 
for  the  sake  of  the  grieved  brethren.  The  body  also  adopted  a 
strong  paper  in  condemnation  of  slavery. 

On  the  subject  of  temperance  this  church,  at  its  very  begin- 
ning, took  a  decided  stand,  making  a  temperance  pledge  a  con- 
dition of  membership.  Its  leading  men  have  always  been 
awake  to  the  interests  of  society  at  large.  Under  the  ministry 
of  Mr.  McCutchen  a  temperance  society,  and  also  an  anti- 
slavery  society,  were  formed  in  the  community.  The  occasion 
of  the  interest  on  the  subject  of  secret  societies  was  the  fact 
that  a  son  of  Mr.  Thomas  Boyd,  one  of  the  leading  members 
of  the  church,  and  a  strong  anti-secret-society  man,  had  united 
with  the  Odd  Fellows,  greatly  to  the  grieving  of  his  father  and 
others.  Several  members  of  the  Presbytery  sought  to  induce 
the  son  to  leave  the  society.  In  his  own  home,  and  with  the 
family,  they  made  his  case  a  subject  of  personal  prayer. 

Of  the  original  members  of  this  church  but  one  is  to  be  seen 
among  its  communicants  to-day — Mrs.  Eliza  Reid,  who  yet 
abides  at  the  age  of  over  eighty  years,  soon  to  be  gathered 
"  like  a  shock  of  corn  cometh  in  her  season," 


THE  CHURCH  IN  SANDUSKY.  417 

MISSIONARY    SOCIETY. 

A  Home  and  Foreign  Missionary  Society  has  been  organized, 
dividing  the  funds  collected  between  the  two  boards.  Of  this 
society  Mrs.  Emma  Blaney  is  president,  Mrs.  Hattie  Ogden 
secretary,  and  Mrs.  Emma  Chatfield  treasurer. 

There  is  also  a  Children's  Mission  Band  and  a  Young  Peo- 
ple's Society  of  Christian  Endeavor. 

THE  CHURCH  IN  SANDUSKY. 

On  the  occasion  of  the  thirtieth  anniversary  of  the  dedica- 
tion of  the  house  of  worship  in  Sandusky,  June  28,  1885,  Mr. 
W.  F.  Converse  read  an  historic  account  of  the  church,  and 
Mr.  J.  R.  Davies  read  a  sketch  of  the  ministers  who  had  served 
it  from  its  origin  until  that  date.  From  these  two  papers  we 
gather  the  narrative  here  given  mainly. 

THE    ORGANIZATION. 

On  the  28th  of  May,  1819,  a  Congregational  and  Presbyterian 
church  was  organized  in  Sandusky  by  Revs.  Seward  and  Treat. 
It  was  under  the  care  of  Huron  Presbytery  for  a  number  of 
years.  In  the  spring  of  1851,  however,  it  withdrew  from  that 
body,  assigning  as  the  reason  therefor  "  the  connection  of  the 
Presbytery  with  slavery."  This  is  now  the  Congregational 
church  of  Sandusky. 

In  the  fall  of  1852,  November  18th,  twenty-six  members  of 
this  church,  having  been  formerly  Presbyterians,  and  realizing 
that  wide  differences  of  opinion  existed  on  some  of  the  exciting 
moral  questions  of  the  day,  which  found  expression  not  only 
in  the  business  but  in  the  prayer  meetings  of  the  church,  and 
had  an  influence  on  its  harmony  and  efficiency,  asked  for  let- 
ters of  dismission  that  they  might  form  a  Presbyterian  church. 
This  separation  was  made  in  a  peaceable  and  Christian  spirit. 
The  names  of  the  twenty -six  are  as  follows :  S.  W.  Torrey, 
Catharine  M.  Torrey,  Charles  Cochran,  Mary  A.  Cochran,  Eliza- 
beth Norris,  W.  W.  Wetherell,  Sarah  M.  Wetherell,  W.  F.  Con- 

27 


418  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCHES. 

verse,  W.  P.  Gray,  Thankful  E.  Gray,  Milton  Gray,  C.  Leonard, 
Julia  Leonard,  Mrs.  A.  Strain,  F.  Whitney,  W.  M.  Pierce,  Mrs. 
L.  C.  Pierce,  Lucinda  Wetherell,  Elizabeth  Barney,  Sarah  L. 
Hull,  Mrs.  Eliza  Follett,  Nancy  F.  Follett,  W.  W.  Johnson, 
Amanda  McNeil,  L  S.  O.  Gustin,  and  Mary  Ann  Gustin. 

Application  was  made  to  tlie  Presbytery  of  Richland,  and  a 
committee  of  that  body,  consisting  of  Rev.  John  Robinson  and 
Rev.  Mr.  Dickey,  visited  Sandusky  for  the  purpose,  and  on 
Saturday,  December  11, 1852,  the  First  Presbyterian  Church  of 
Sandusk}^  was  organized,  with  the  twenty-six  members.  The 
sermon  on  the  occasion  was  preached  by  Rev.  Mr.  Dickey,  of 
Plymouth,  Ohio.  W.  P.  Gray  and  Charles  Cochran  were 
elected  elders,  and  on  the  following  day  they  were  ordained 
and  installed. 

HOUSE   OF   WORSHIP. 

At  first  Campbell  Hall  was  rented,  in  the  building  now 
known  as  Register  Block.  There  the  services  were  held  for 
nearly  a  year.  In  the  meantime  the  society  was  chartered 
under  act  of  the  Ohio  Legislature,  and  W.  W.  Wetherell, 
S.  W.  Torrey,  and  W.  F.  Converse  were  elected  trustees. 

The  congregation  increased  until  their  quarters  were  soon 
found  to  be  too  contracted,  and  they  began  to  cast  about  to  see 
if  it  were  not  possible  to  build  a  house  in  which  to  worsliip. 

Mr.  Torrey  obtained  from  a  personal  friend  in  New  York,  an 
architect,  plan,  specifications,  and  estimate  of  cost  for  a  house. 
He  persisted  in  his  desire  to  have  the  plan  adopted  and  the 
house  erected  after  all  others  had  felt  that  they  were  unable  to 
do  it;  and,  being  over-confident,  he  lent  special  encourage- 
ment as  to  what  he  himself  would  do — being  cashier  and 
stockholder  in  the  Union  Bank,  then  the  principal  bank  in  the 
city.  So  the  lot  was  bought,  the  work  begun,  and  the  walls 
went  up.  Subscriptions  were  paid,  but  soon  debts  began  to 
accumulate.  Five  thousand  dollars  were  borrowed,  and  the 
work  was  carried  forward  to  the  completion  of  tlie  Sabbath- 
school  and  lecture  room,  into  which  tlie  congregation  moved 
for  services  in  the  fall  of  1853.     The  congregation  continued 


THE  CHURCH  IN  SANDUSKY.  419 

to  increase,  so  that  the  completion  of  the  audience  room  seemed 
a  necessity.  The  members  of  the  church  had  already  been 
over-strained  in  giving,  and  in  the  emergency  the  work  of  com- 
pleting the  main  room  was  undertaken,  finished,  and  paid  for 
by  C.  Leonard  and  W.  F.  Converse,  at  a  cost  of  several  thousand 
dollars,  in  the  winter  of  1854-5.  The  house  was  dedicated  in 
June  following.  Rev.  William  S.  Plumer,  d.  d.,  upon  invitation, 
preached  the  dedicatory  sermon  from  the  text,  Proverbs  xviii, 
10  :  "  The  name  of  the  Lord  is  a  strong  tower.  The  righteous 
runneth  into  it  and  is  safe."  Rev.  D.  J.  Meese  adopted  the 
same  text  on  the  occasion  of  the  thirtieth  anniversary  of  the 
church.  The  sanctuary  was  now  dedicated  and  occupied,  but 
there  hung  over  it  a  large  debt,  and  there  was  not  great  wealth 
among  the  people.  Mr.  Torrey,  who  had  been  so  confident  in 
the  encouragement  he  gave,  had  removed  to  Cincmnati, 
and  in  the  final  effort  of  the  church  to  remove  its  debt  was 
only  able  or  willing  to  give  $150.  The  burden  was  carried 
until  1862.  By  this  time  there  was  great  discouragement, 
almost  doubt,  as  to  ability  to  secure  another  minister.  The 
debts  amounted  to  some  $20,000.  The  house  had  cost — about 
double  the  estimate — $33,000.  It  was  finally  offered  at  sheriff's 
sale.  It  was  rumored  that  the  Romanists  were  ready  to  buy  it. 
What  could  be  done?  was  the  almost  despairing  cry  of  the 
people.  Yet  prayers  of  faith  and  hope  had  gone  up,  and  the 
house  must  not  be  lost,  the  debts  must  be  met. 

Rev.  F.  Noble  came  to  the  church  at  this  time  and  entered 
upon  his  work,  with  the  understanding  that  efforts  were  to  be 
made  to  lift  the  incubus.  In  June,  1862,  it  was  resolved  by  the 
congregation  to  appoint  W.  F.  Converse  a  special  committee  of 
one  to  take  the  matter  in  hand.  He  went  into  the  work  with 
will  and  energy.  After  a  canvass  at  home,  he  went  East  and 
raised  over  $600.  Mrs.  Follett  raised  also  $265  from  friends  in 
Cincinnati.  Creditors  proposed  liberal  terms,  and  when  the 
matter  began  to  look  hopeful,  the  congregation  unanimously 
resolved  to  sell  their  organ,  which  had  been  purchased  by  the 
ladies,  with  their  needles  and  festivals,  at  a  cost  of  $1500.     It 


420  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCHES. 

was  sold  to  the  church  in  Monroe,  Michigan,  for  $1000.  The 
hidies  did  their  part  in  various  ways.  The  members  of  the 
church  and  congregation  were  again  solicited.  Finally,  on  the 
1st  of  January,  1804,  the  church  stood  before  the  world  free  of 
debt. 

Rev.  Mr.  Noble,  who  during  this  time  of  struggle  was  the 
pastor,  saj's :  "  The  entire  work  of  arranging  with  creditors 
and  soliciting  subscriptions  was  done  by  Mr.  W.  F.  Converse, 
whose  untiring  zeal  carried  to  success  what  most  men  thought 
a  hopeless  enterprise." 

CHANGE    OF    PRESBYTERY. 

The  church  was  organized  by  the  Richland  Presbytery. 
After  a  time  it  fell,  by  a  change  of  arrangement  in  the  Presby- 
teries, to  that  of  Western  Reserve.    Both  these  were  Old  School. 

At  the  time  of  the  installation  of  Rev.  F.  Noble,  for  reasons 
of  dissatisfaction  in  the  minds  of  part  of  the  membership, 
growing  out  of  the  state  of  the  countrj^  a  transfer  was  com- 
pleted to  the  Presbytery  of  Huron.  All  the  necessary  previous 
steps  had  been  taken  and  Huron  Presbytery,  meeting  in  San- 
dusky on  the  oOth  of  April,  1862,  received  the  church  under 
its  care,  and  then  proceeded  to  ordain  Mr.  Noble  and  install 
him  to  the  pastorate. 

THE    MINISTRY. 

In  January,  1853,  Rev.  Wm.  S.  Kennedy  was  invited  to  sup- 
ply the  church  for  four  months.  He  had  just  finished  his 
studies  in  Western  Reserve  College.  At  the  end  of  the  four 
months  he  was  called  to  the  pastorate,  and  was  installed  in  the 
August  following.  He  was  present  during  the  ordeal  of  build- 
ing the  house  of  worship.  He  was  a  fine  preacher  and  drew 
large  congregations,  and  members  were  continually  being 
added.  After  serving  the  church  faithfully  for  six  years  and 
eight  months  he  was  called  to  the  Third  Presbyterian  Church 
in  Cincinnati.  He  was  released  from  his  Sandusky  charge 
September  22,  1859,  and  going  to  Cincinnati,  he  was  soon 
after  called  to  his  everlasting  reward. 


THE  CHURCH  IN  SANDUSKY.  421 

After  Mr.  Kennedy's  departure  from  Sandusky  the  pulpit 
was  supplied,  for  four  months,  by  Rev.  Dr.  Pierce,  formerly 
president  of  Hillsdale  College,  Michigan. 

He  was  succeeded  by  Rev.  Thomas  C.  Campbell.  One  of  the 
first  missionaries  to  Lodiana  was  the  father  of  this  brother. 
While  on  the  voyage,  on  the  high  seas,  Thomas  C.  was  born. 
Grown  up  to  manhood,  he  became  a  student  in  Jefferson  Col- 
lege, Pa.,  and  afterward  at  Allegheny  Theological  Seminary. 
A  few  months  after  his  graduation  he  was  invited  to  preach 
for  a  month  in  this  church  of  Sandusky.  His  preaching  was 
acceptable,  and  he  was  unanimously  called  to  become  the 
pastor,  December  20,  1859,  at  a  salar}'^  of  $700.  He  accepted. 
Soon  after  he  became  married,  and  remained  with  his  first 
charge  until  the  summer  of  1861,  when  he  removed  to  Marion, 
O.,  where  he  soon  after  died. 

The  Rev.  Mr.  Cross,  of  Baltimore,  more  recently  of  Newark, 
Ohio,  was  invited  to  preach  from  August  5,  1861,  to  October 
1st  of  the  same  year,  which  he  did,  giving  the  church  the  op- 
portunity of  securing  a  pastor.  ]\Ir.  Cross  is  remembered  as  a 
very  devoted  and  godly  man  by  some  who  are  still  in  the  church. 
He  made  it  a  rule  of  his  life  not  to  ride  a  mile  with  another, 
nor  to  be  with  a  person  half  an  hour,  without  introducing  the 
subject  of  personal  religion.     He  also  has  gone  to  his  reward. 

The  church  remained  without  a  pastor  only  a  few  months, 
when  Mr.  Franklin  Noble  was  invited  to  fill  the  pulpit.  He 
was  a  graduate  of  Union  Theological  Seminary,  and  a  licentiate 
of  the  Presbytery  of  the  District  of  Columbia,  and  preached  his 
first  sermon  in  Sandusky,  in  December,  1861.  He  was  here 
ordained  and  installed,  and  labored  with  the  church  while 
struggling  to  become  free  from  its  burden  of  debt.  The  debt 
was  lifted  January  1,  1864,  and  Mr.  Noble  was  released  from 
the  pastoral  relation  July  1st  of  the  same  year. 

After  his  departure  the  church  invited  Rev.  George  H.  Fuller- 
ton  to  become  its  pastor.  He  accepted,  and  began  his  labors  Oc- 
tober 5, 1864,  and  was  installed  September  5, 1865.  He  came  to 
Sandusky  one  year  and  a  half  after  his  ordination  at  Lancaster, 


422  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCHES. 

Ohio.  He  was  a  man  of  fine  culture,  scholarly  habits,  superior 
pulpit  ability,  and  genial  disposition.  He  was  very  acceptable 
to  the  people,  and  left  pleasant  memories  behind  him.  He 
resigned  November  3,  18G7,  to  accept  a  call  to  the  pastorate  of 
the  church  at  Walnut  Hills,  Cincinnati. 

A  call  was  then  extended  to  the  Rev.  L.  Blakeslee,  of  Piqua, 
Ohio,  a  young  man  of  fine  attainments  and  a  splendid  singer. 
This  call,  however,  was  declined. 

In  December,  1867,  one  month  after  the  departure  of  Mr. 
FuUerton,  correspondence  was  'opened  with  Dr.  Keifer,  ex- 
president  of  Heidelberg  College,  in  Tiffin,  Ohio,  resulting  in  a 
call  to  him  to  become  pastor  of  the  church.  The  call  was 
accepted,  and  Dr.  Keifer  commenced  his  labors  December  26, 
1867,  at  a  salary  of  $1400.  He  was  a  scholarly  man  ;  his  ser- 
mons were  full  of  logic  and  doctrine.  He  was  fond  of  discus- 
sing doctrinal  questions.  Any  real  or  imaginary  error  in 
doctrine  found  no  mercy  at  his  hands.  To  use  his  own  words : 
"  He  was  sent  to  kill  the  worm  that  was  destroying  God's  vine." 
His  doctrinal  sermons  along  the  line  of  the  decrees  became  a 
little  too  strong  for  some  of  his  people,  and  the  result  was  that 
Dr.  Keifer  resigned,  February  1, 1809.  He  went  to  Gettysburg, 
Pa.,  where,  after  a  number  of  years,  he  died. 

In  July,  1869,  a  call  having  been  extended  to  the  Rev.  C.  L. 
Armstrong  on  the  19th  of  March,  but  declined,  the  Rev. 
J.  S.  McCoy  was  called  to  the  pastorate  of  this  church.  He 
accepted,  and  during  the  following  winter  interesting  union 
revival  services  were  held,  and  as  the  result  a  number  were 
added  to  the  church,  and  its  activities  were  greatly  aroused. 
This  was  the  origin  of  the  mission  Sabbath  school,  which 
was  organized  in  the  barn  of  Mr.  L.  Anthony,  and  conducted 
principally  by  the  young  ladies  who  had  recently  united  with 
the  church.  On  the  21st  of  October,  1872,  Mr.  McCoy  resigned 
on  account  of  failing  health. 

For  a  short  time  the  pulpit  was  supplied  by  Prof.  Judson 
Smith,  of  Oberlin  College — since  Dr.  Judson  Smith  and  one  of 
the  secretaries  of  the  American  Board.    He  declined  a  call  to  the 


THE   CHURCH  IN  SANDUSKY.  423 

pastorate  on  account  of  his  peculiar  relations  with  Oberlin  Col- 
lege. After  some  six  months,  the  church  continuing  without  a 
pastor,  Rev.  G.  H.  Fullerton  suggested  to  the  session  the  name 
of  Rev.  M.  C.  Williams,  then  preaching  in  Illinois.  Mr.  Wil- 
liams was  invited,  then  called,  and  entered  upon  his  work 
June  8,  1873. 

It  did  not  take  long  to  see  in  him  a  man  of  more  than  ordi- 
nary culture,  a  man  possessing  a  character  of  the  finest  fibre. 
His  father  was  a  Presbyterian  elder  for  many  years,  and  he 
trained  his  children  in  the  good  old  Presbyterian  way. 

Mr.  Williams  accepted  the  unanimous  call,  and  ministered 
to  the  church  nearly  four  years,  but  was  never  installed  be- 
cause of  a  doubt  in  his  mind  of  ability  to  endure  the  climate  of 
Sandusky.  Numbers  were  added  to  the  church  during  his 
sta}^  and  he  was  a  faithful  pastor.  But  the  climate  was  against 
him,  and  he  retired  from  the  field,  preaching  his  last  sermon 
on  the  25th  of  March,  1877.  He,  however,  at  this  time  went 
to  Europe  for  a  six  months'  travel  and  recuperation,  hoping  to 
be  able  to  return  again  to  his  work.  But  he  returned  in  Sep- 
tember only  to  offer  his  final  resignation. 

Some  six  months  before  Mr.  Williams  departed  for  Europe 
Mr.  D.  J.  Meese,  a  student  in  Heidelberg  Theological  Seminary, 
in  Tiffin,  Ohio,  spent  a  Sabbath  with  the  church  and  preached 
from  the  text,  "  Consider  the  lilies  of  the  field."  As  the  result 
of  impressions  made  by  this  sermon,  Mr.  Meese  was  invited  to 
suppl}^  the  pulpit  during  the  absence  of  Mr.  Williams.  As  a 
further  result,  he  was  invited  to  continue  to  the  end  of  the  year, 
when  Mr.  Williams  had  resigned ;  and,  as  a  still  further  result, 
he  was  invited  to  remain  permanently.  He  continued  to  serve 
the  church  while  yet  holding  his  relation  with  the  Reformed 
body  until  November,  1880,  when  he  united  with  the  Presby- 
tery and  was  installed  to  the  pastorate. 

His  labors  continued,  and  the  church  grew  and  prospered 
until  the  relation  of  pastor  and  people  was  dissolved,  on  the 
15th  of  September,  1886,  that  he  might  accept  a  call  to  the 
Presbyterian  church  in  Mansfield,  Ohio. 


424  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCHES. 

From  this  time  for  aljout  a  year  the  congregation  were  unable 
to  find  the  man  that  just  suited  them.  At  the  end  of  that 
time,  however,  Rev.  Daniel  E.  Bierce  was  called  from  the  Pres- 
bytery of  Fargo,  Dakota,  and  entered  upon  his  labors.  He  is 
one  of  the  most  able  men  this  church  has  had  in  all  its  history, 
and  a  thoroughly  Biblical  preacher.  Mr.  Bierce  retired  from 
this  charge  October,  1891.  He  was  succeeded  for  a  few  months 
by  Rev.  Charles  R.  Compton.  More  recently  a  call  to  the  pas- 
torate has  been  extended  to  Rev.  C.  G.  Martin,  of  New  York 
State,  which  is  awaiting  his  answer. 

THE    ELDERSHIP. 

At  the  time  of  the  organization  of  the  church,  on  the  11th 
of  December,  1852,  W.  P.  Gray  and  Charles  Cochran  were 
elected  elders.  They  were  ordained  and  installed  on  the  fol- 
lowing day.  Mr.  Gra}'  removed  to  Springfield  in  18G0,  and 
Mr.  Cochran  to  Toledo  in  1861.  The  next  elder  chosen  was 
Mr.  C.  Leonard,  in  June,  1857.  His  heart  was  in  the  church 
and  in  the  work  of  the  Lord,  but  he  was  suddenly  cut  down 
by  death  while  at  the  table  in  a  New  York  hotel  in  1859. 

In  April,  1860,  Samuel  Miner  was  elected  elder,  and  in  May 
E.  G.  Coy.  The  former  went  to  Titusville,  Pa.,  in  1865,  the 
latter  to  Ithaca,  N.  Y.,  in  1872.  In  October,  1862,  S.  S.  Cotton 
and  A.  Montgomery  were  made  elders.  Mr.  Cotton  removed  to 
Pomfret,  Conn.,  in  1868 ;  Mr.  Montgomery,  not  having  been  re- 
elected under  the  rotary  system,  in  1882  took  letters  to  a  sister 
church.  In  July,  1867,  W.  H.  Scudder  was  elected  elder  and 
served  efficiently  till  his  death  in  1874.  In  1870  J.  R.  Davies, 
an  elder  in  the  church  at  Sturgis,  Mich.,  from  which  place  he 
came  to  Sandusky,  was  elected  here,  and  re-elected,  serving 
until  his  removal  to  Kansas  in  1887.  In  October,  1874,  E.  C. 
Bo3'd,  an  elder  in  the  Tiffin  church,  united  with  the  Sandusky 
church,  and  was  chosen  elder.  His  candle  soon  burned  dim 
and  finally  went  out.  His  name  was  dropped,  after  disciplinary 
process,  not  only  from  the  session,  but  also  from  the  roll  of  the 
church. 


THE  CHURCH  IN  SANDUSKY.  425 

In  January,  1879,  Mr.  "Watts,  a  man  established  in  his  knowl- 
edge of  the  Scriptures  and  of  Scotch  theology,  was  elected,  and 
served  until  July,  1883,  when,  to  the  regret  of  the  church,  he 
removed  to  Akron,  Ohio. 

In  February,  1881,  W.  F.  Converse  was  chosen,  and  in  Feb- 
ruary, 1883,  U.  T.  Curran.  These  two,  with  E.  W.  DeWitt  and 
Charles  Sutor  afterward  added,  constituted  the  session  until 
February,  1891,  when  all  foiir  resigned.  The  waters  in  this 
church  of  excellent  record  were  not  at  that  date  running 
smoothly,  nor  have  they  been  since.  The  people,  however,  are 
"  now  looking  up,  and  hope  soon  to  take  on  new  life  and  to  do 
better  work  than  ever  before."  Upon  the  resignation  of  the 
four  above  named,  A.  J.  Swan,  J.  P.  Merriam,  and  John  Peter- 
son were  elected,  the  latter  two  to  serve  for  one  year ;  but  in 
February,  1892,  these  two  retired,  and  Frank  Roth  and  Willard 
M.  Harsh  were  chosen  in  their  stead,  to  serve  for  one  and  three 
years  respectively. 

THE  SABBATH  SCHOOL. 

This  has  been  an  interesting  factor  in  this  church  from  its 
beginning,  composed,  as  it  was  then  and  has  been  since,  largely 
of  the  mission  element.  The  school  has  all  along  been  flourish- 
ing and  doing  good.  Mr.  W.  F.  Converse  was  superintendent 
for  the  first  eighteen  years  of  the  history  of  the  church,  at  the 
end  of  which  time  enfeebled  health  compelled  him  to  resign. 
W.  H.  Scudder  then  superintended  the  school  for  two  years, 
dying  in  the  harness.  J.  P.  Merriam  followed  for  a  few  months, 
when  J.  R.  Davies  was  chosen  to  this  position,  which  he  suc- 
cessfully filled  until  his  removal  to  Kansas.  Since  then,  1887, 
and  up  to  January,  1892,  the  school  has  been  under  the  man- 
agement of  O.  B.  Bannister.  This  year  began  with  R.  B. 
Fisher  inducted  into  this  office. 

In  1871  some  of  the  younger  elements  in  the  church,  observ- 
ing that  in  the  east  part  of  the  city  there  were  many  children 
who  did  not  attend  any  Sabbath  school,  gathered  them  to- 
gether, first  in  a  barn,  and  sought  to  give  them  instruction  in 


426  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCHES. 

the  Bible.  This  school  enlarged,  until  it  became  evident  that 
more  permanent  quarters  were  demanded.  Rev.  J.  S.  McCoy, 
then  pastor,  canvassed  the  field,  and  it  was  tliought  safe  to  go 
forward.  Mr.  Converse  secured  a  lot,  funds  were  raised,  the 
ladies  helping  largely  by  excursions  and  fairs,  and  a  neat 
chapel  was  erected  at  a  cost,  including  the  lot,  of  over  $1500. 
Tliis  school  was  for  some  time  under  the  management  of  Miss 
Ida  Anthony,  but  it  eventually  fell  into  the  hands  of  J.  R.  Davies, 
and  upon  his  removal  to  the  West  Mr.  0.  R.  Bannister  became 
its  superintendent.  Mr.  H.  McAlpin  was  his  assistant  and 
M.  Yule  the  secretary.  At  the  present  time,  while  R.  B.  Fisher 
is  the  superintendent  of  the  parent  school,  George  E.  Reiter 
conducts  the  mission  school.  The  work  done  in  this  district  is 
important,  and  the  school  has  an  attendance  of  over  one  hun- 
dred. Another  small  mission  school  was  opened  in  the  west 
end  of  the  city  by  Miss  Helen  Merriam  and  some  of  her  young 
associates,  and  several  other  schools  have  been  conducted  in 
whole  or  in  part  by  members  of  this  church. 

MISSIONARY. 

Three  missionaries  have  been  sent  out  who  had  their  home 
and  their  names  in  this  congregation.  The  first,  Mary  Jewett, 
once  a  teacher  here,  has  for  twenty  years  been  in  Persia,  doing 
the  Master's  work  among  that  heathen  people.  The  second.  Miss 
Lilly  North,  married  a  home  missionary  and  went  with  him  to 
the  West.  The  third  was  Arthur  Adams.  He  was  reared  and 
educated  in  this  church  and  Sabbath  school.  He  early  gave 
himself  to  the  Lord.  He  went  to  Japan  soon  after  the  doors 
were  thrown  open  to  the  missionary  there ;  but  his  health  be- 
gan to  fail,  and  he  came  back  to  San  Francisco,  hoping  to  be 
profited  by  a  sea  voyage.  After  a  short  stay  in  California,  he 
started  to  return  to  Yokohama,  but  died  upon  the  ocean. 

In  the  monthly  missionary  concerts,  and  in  the  meetings 
and  work  of  the  ladies  in  connection  with  the  Woman's  Board, 
and  in  various  other  ways,  this  people  have  manifested  a  deep 
interest  in  the  cause  of  missions.     In  April,  1876,  there  was 


THE  MCCUTCHENSVILLE   CHURCH.  427 

organized  the  Woman's  Foreign  Missionary  Society,  of  San- 
dusky. Its  first  officers  were :  Mrs.  M.  Gallup,  president ;  Miss 
Ella  Taylor,  secretary,  and  Mrs.  Sophia  Norris,  treasurer. 

The  officers  at  the  present  are :  Mrs.  Sophia  Norris,  presi- 
dent ;  Mrs.  Eva  Center,  vice-president ;  Mrs.  William  Hodgins, 
secretary,  and  Mrs.  Perry  Walker,  treasurer. 

MEMBERSHIP. 

There  have  been  on  the  roll  of  this  church,  since  its  organ- 
ization, not  far  from  seven  hundred  names,  of  whom  more  than 
half  were  received  upon  the  profession  of  their  faith  in  Christ. 
The  membership,  as  reported  this  year,  is  one  hundred  and 
seventy-six. 

Of  the  original  members  but  three  yet  remain :  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Willard  M.  Pierce  and  Mr.  W.  F.  Converse. 


THE  McCUTCHENSVILLE  CHURCH. 

The  first  nucleus  which  eventually  developed  into  the  Pres- 
byterian Church  of  McCutchensville  was  a  somewhat  informal 
organization,  in  1837,  of  some  six  or  eight  persons,  on  the  in- 
dependent plan.  Peter  Lott  was  elected  elder,  and  Rev.  W.  H. 
Brinkerhoff  preached  for  them  for  several  years.  No  records 
were  preserved. 

On  the  12th  of  February,  1842,  a  meeting  was  held  in  the 
Methodist  church,  and  a  new^  organization  was  effected  and 
called  "  The  Congregational  Church  of  McCutchensville." 
Peter  Lott  was  again  chosen  elder,  and  Jacob  McGoffin  and 
Peter  P.  Bercaw,  deacons.  Twenty -three  persons  became  mem- 
bers on  that  day.  Rev.  John  Pettit  supplied  this  church  until 
November  1849.  During  his  ministry  about  fifty  were  added 
to  the  membership.  On  the  25th  of  February  an  agreement 
was  made  with  the  Protestant  Methodist  people,  wlio  had  a 
house  of  worship  partly  finished,  regarding  their  house  ;  the 
terms  of  the  agreement  were  that  the  Congregationalists  should 
complete    the  house    and    then  have  the  use  of   it  for  their 


428  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCHES. 

services  for  twenty-five  years.  After  Mr.  Pettit  left,  however 
there  was  for  some  time  only  occasional  preaching.  The  Rev. 
Charles  Thayer,  ministering  to  the  Presbyterian  church  in 
Upper  Sandusky,  occasionally  visited  this  people  and  preached 
to  them,  as  there  was  no  Congregationalist  minister  near ;  and 
there  being  no  other  Congregationalist  church  in  tlie  immediate 
region,  it  was  eventually  thouglit  best  to  organize  a  Presby- 
terian church. 

This  w^as  done  in  May,  1854.  The  Presbytery  of  Clarion  had 
been  petitioned,  in  April,  to  effect  the  organization.  That 
body  had  responded  by  appointing  a  committee,  consisting  of 
Rev.  C.  Thayer,  Rev.  James  Pelan,  and  Elder  Matthew  Rodgers, 
to  visit  McCutchensville  and,  if  the  way  be  clear,  to  organize 
the  church.  They  did  so  on  the  date  named  above,  the  exact 
day  not  being  given.  At  that  time  the  following  persons  were 
received  by  letter,  namel}^:  James  M.  Chamberlin,  Catharine 
A.  Chamberlin,  Jonathan  Hill,  Sarah  Hill,  Rachel  E.  Miles, 
Elizabeth  Fishel,  Jacob  C.  Magoffin,  Elizabeth  Magoffin,  Jacob 
Johnson,  Ann  Johnson,  John  Mangus,  Margaret  Mangus,  Peter 
Lott,  Mary  Lott,  Mary  M.  Lott,  James  W.  Kerr,  Esther  Kerr, 
James  H.  Brinkerhoff,  Jane  Lawhead,  Mary  Clayton,  Matthew 
Laird,  Sr.,  Elizabeth  Laird,  Mary  Laird,  Elizabeth  Laird,  Mat- 
thew Laird,  Jr.,  John  Kerr,  Margaret  Kerr,  Sarah  A.  Brinker- 
hoff, Julian  Houpt;  and,  upon  profession  of  faith,  Cyrena 
Kerr,  Hannah  Galbraith,  Alexander  Mcllwain,  and  Artimiha 
DeWitt. 

James  M.  Chamberlin  and  John  Mangus  w^ere  elected  elders. 
They  requested  time  for  consideration.  Mr.  Mangus  eventu- 
ally declined,  and  Matthew  Laird,  Sr.,  and  John  Kerr  were 
chosen.  These  two  had  both  served  as  elders  in  other  churches. 
On  the  1st  of  April,  1855,  Rev.  James  Pelan,  after  sermon, 
proceeded  to  ordain  Mr.  Chamberlin,  and  then  to  install  the 
three  as  elders  of  this  church.  The  church  was  then  fully 
organized  as  Presbyterian.  All  the  members  of  the  Congrega- 
tional organization  then  in  the  region  became  members  of  this. 
Rev.  James  Pelan  supplied  the  pulpit  until  the  fall  of  1857. 


THE  McCUTCHENSVILLE  CHURCH.  429 

The  new  organization  continued  to  occupy  the  same  house  of 
worship  which  had  been  partly  built  by  the  Protestant  Metho- 
dists, and  in  which  the  CongregationaHsts  had  been  worshiping. 

After  Mr.  Pelan  retired  came  that  noble  man  of  God,  Rev. 
John  McLain.  He  entered  upon  his  labors  here,  in  connection 
with  Tiffin,  in  the  winter  or  spring  of  1858,  having  served  in 
Tiffin  since  1855.  During  his  ministry  the  church  was  greatl}'- 
prospered,  and  it  became  stronger  than  it  has  ever  been,  either 
before  or  since,  until  now.  Under  his  encouragement  and 
guidance  the  present  house  of  worship  was  built,  in  1860.  Its 
cost  was  about  $3000. 

Mr.  McLain  continued  to  supply  this  church  until  his  death 
in  June,  1862.  It  doubtless  seldom  happens  that  the  death  of 
a  minister  casts  a  deeper  shadow  of  grief  over  a  people  than 
did  his  death  bring  over  this  congregation  and  community.  It 
seemed  to  many  of  them  like  a  dark,  mysterious  Providence. 
After  Mr.  McLain's  death  the  Rev.  D.  S.  Logan,  who  had 
located  in  Tiffin,  preached  in  McCutchensville  for  a  short 
time,  but  finding  the  physical  labor  too  great  for  him  he  soon 
ceased.  He  was  succeeded  for  about  six  months  by  Rev.  R.  H. 
Hollyday,  and  he  for  a  few  Sabbaths  by  Rev.  D.  H.  Coyner. 
Then  the  Rev.  Solomon  Cook  entered  upon  the  duties  of  this 
charge  and  continued  for  probably  about  two  years.  During 
his  service  here  he  was  called  upon  to  endure  great  trial  and 
sorrow.  Sickness  and  death  entered  his  home,  and  his  wife 
and  several  children — all  his  household — were  taken  from 
him.  In  these  years,  however,  the  church  continued  to  pros- 
per ;  especially  was  there  at  this  time  a  remarkably  flourishing 
Sabbath  school.  Mr.  Cook  went  to  Southern  Illinois  to  labor  in 
the  church  in  Golconda,  where  he  remained  for  several  years. 

About  the  time  of  his  leaving  McCutchensville  a  great 
change  began  to  take  place  in  that  community.  A  large  part 
of  the  families  in  connection  with  this  church  sold  out  their 
homes  and  farms  and  moved,  some  to  the  West  and  others  to 
other  sections,  reducing  the  membership  greatly.  Another  fact 
is  noteworthy,  that  among  all  the  young  women  belonging  to 


430  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCHES. 

the  McCutchensville  congregation  who  married,  tlierc  was  but 
one  wlio  remained  in  the  neighborhood. 

The  membership  becoming  suddenly  so  greatly  reduced,  it 
was  very  difficult  to  support  a  minister.  Indeed,  a  heavy  cloud 
of  discouragement  settled  down  upon  this  people  in  view  of  the 
many  removals. 

In  this  state  of  things  the  Rev.  Wm.  M.  Reed  preached  to 
the  church  for  about  six  months,  and  was  followed  by  Rev.  R. 
H.  Plollyday  for  about  the  same  length  of  time.  Then,  in  the 
summer  of  18(57,  Rev.  R.  B.  Moore,  who  had  become  pastor  of 
the  church  in  Tiffin,  went  out  on  the  Sabbath  afternoons  and 
supplied  this  church.  He  continued  to  look  after  them  more 
or  less,  sometimes  giving  them  a  morning  service,  during  his 
five  years'  pastorate  of  the  Tiffin  church.  He  received  for  his 
services  about  two  hundred  and  fifty  dollars  per  year,  which 
he  credited  to  the  salary  promised  him  b}--  the  Tiffin  church. 
In  addition  to  this,  he  secured  from  the  McCutchensville  people 
a  hundred  dollars  for  the  new  church  in  the  city. 

After  Mr.  Moore  gave  up  his  charge  in  Tiffin,  the  church  of 
McCutchensville  was  for  almost  four  years  without  having 
scarcely  even  an  occasional  sermon.  The  "Evangelical"  denom- 
ination for  a  time  used  their  house  of  worship.  Then  Rev. 
Solomon  Cook,  who  had  returned  from  Illinois,  again  looked 
after  this  people  and  supplied  the  pulpit  on  alternate  Sabbaths, 
as  was  the  custom,  for  some  months.  Having  other  work  at 
Nevada,  Ohio,  he  sought  Mr.  Moore,  desiring  him  again  to 
return  to  this  field.  Mr.  Moore  responded,  and  began  to  preach 
in  McCutchensville,  in  connection  with  Melmore,  in  the  fall  of 
1870,  and  continued  his  labors  here  until  June,  1882. 

Daring  this  time  the  congregations  were  good,  and  the  mem- 
bership rallied  again  from  about  twenty-five  to  about  fifty. 
But  when  the  church  became  vacant  in  1882  it  continued  to 
be  so  for  more  than  two  years,  save  that  it  was  supplied  for  a 
few  Sabbaths  in  the  winter  of  1882-3  by  Rev.  R.  C.  Colmery, 
from  Upper  Sandusky.  Mr.  Moore  then,  January,  1885,  again 
a  third  time  returned  and  preached  for  a  year  and  six  months, 


THE  McCUTCHENSVILLE  CHURCH.  431 

when  he  retired,  that  this  church  and  that  of  Melmore  might 
a  second  time  be  united  in  the  support  of  a  minister.  The  two 
churches  failed  to  secure  a  man  upon  whom  they  could  agree 
for  nearly  two  years,  when  Rev.  William  Smith  came  to  them. 
They  heartily  united  upon  him,  called  him  to  become  their 
pastor,  and  he,  having  entered  upon  his  labors  in  March,  1888, 
was  installed  in  each  of  the  churches  on  the  26th  of  April  fol- 
lowing.    He  resigned  April  13,  1892. 

THE    ELDERSHIP. 

Mr.  James  M.  Chamberlin,  one  of  the  first  elders  of  this 
church,  served  it  in  this  capacity  until  his  death,  in  the  sum- 
mer of  1888.  He  was  born  in  New  Jersey  and  was  one  of  the 
truest  of  men.  The  little  church  of  which  he  was  a  member 
and  an  elder  lay  very  near  to  his  heart.  He  united  with  it  at 
its  organization.  He  had,  however,  professed  his  faith  in  Christ 
before  that  time.  His  coming  out  from  the  world  was  during 
the  ministry  of  Rev.  Mr.  Pettit,  and  in  a  manner  that  made  a 
deep  impression  upon  others.  It  was  at  a  Communion  season 
when  a  number  were  being  added  to  the  church.  Mr.  Cham- 
berlin, though  doubtless  serious  and  thoughtful  before,  had 
not  signified  his  desire  to  unite  with  the  church.  At  the  sacra- 
mental service  Mr.  Pettit  gave  a  broad,  and  what  to  a  Presby- 
terian would  be  an  unlawful,  invitation  to  all  who  loved  the 
Lord  Jesus  to  come  to  His  table,  even  though  they  had  not 
united  with  the  church.  Mr.  Chamberlin  and  Mr.  E.  Eyler, 
two  men  of  about  thirty-five  years  of  age,  accepted  the  invita- 
tion, and  came  to  the  table,  making  this  their  first  profession 
of  faith.  Mr.  James  H.  Brinkerhoff,  who  witnessed  the  scene, 
.says :  "  It  made  a  deep  impression  that  day,  and  is  as  fresh  in 
my  mind  now  as  it  was  at  the  time." 

Mr.  John  Kerr,  another  of  the  first  elders,  was  also  a  most 
excellent  man.  He  served  as  an  elder  in  McCutchensville  until 
1874,  when  he  removed  to  Tiffin,  and  not  long  after  was  made 
an  elder  of  that  church,  which  office  he  held  until  his  death,  a 
few  years  later. 


432  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCHES. 

Mr.  Matthew  Laird,  also  a  true  and  noble  man,  continued 
in  the  office  of  elder  from  the  organization  of  this  church  until 
October,  1805,  when  he  was  dismissed  to  Tiffin,  where  he  was 
soon  elected  to  this  position  there,  and  served  until  his  death, 
in  the  fall  of  1867. 

Mr.  John  Mangus  was  again  chosen  to  this  office  in  the 
winter  of  1864—5.  This  time  he  accepted,  was  ordained,  and 
served  until  1871  or  1872,  when,  contrary  to  the  wishes  of  the 
church,  he  resigned.  His  name  has  continued  to  be  upon  the 
roll  of  this  church  through  all  its  years,  and  though  for  some 
time  living  in  Toledo,  he  has  not  ceased  to  be  one  of  its  suji- 
porters. 

In  1877,  October  20th,  Wm.  Houck  was  ordained  and 
installed  an  elder,  and  he  still  serves  in  that  capacity  faithfully 
and  well.  For  several  years  he  has  had  the  chief  burdens  of 
this  office  to  bear. 

On  the  16th  of  March,  1889,  the  congregation  adopted  the 
rotary  plan  of  eldership,  and  elected  Mr.  Houck  for  three  years, 
James  M.  Chamberlin,  Jr.,  for  two  years,  and  Adam  Weikert 
for  one  year.     These  are  the  elders  now. 

THE    SABBATH    SCHOOL. 

During  a  large  part  of  the  history  of  this  church  it  has  had 
a  Sabbath  school.  Sometimes  the  school  has  afforded  a  good 
degree  of  encouragement.  It  is  now  in  a  prosperous  state.  It 
has  been  for  a  number  of  years  superintended  by  Wm.  Houck. 
For  some  time  Mr.  Joel  Wininger  was  assistant.  Others  also 
have  filled  this  place.  Wm.  Chamberlin  superintends  the 
school  now. 

THE    CHURCH    AT    PRESENT. 

It  is  prosperous.  Since  Rev.  Wm.  Smith,  the  first  pastor  of 
this  fold,  has  entered  upon  his  work,  the  weekly  praj'er  meet- 
ings have  been  started,  and  the  church  has  been  revived. 
Additions  have  from  time  to  time  been  made  to  the  member- 
ship. During  the  winter  of  1888-9  the  Lord  heard  the  prayers 
of  His  people  and  poured  out  His  Spirit  upon  both  the  churches 


THE  FOSTORIA    CHURCH.  433 

in  the  village,  and  both  gathered  a  harvest.  The  Presbyterians 
were  repairing  their  liouse  of  worship ;  and  while  thus  engaged, 
in  the  month  of  January,  the  work  of  grace  began  in  the  M.  E. 
church.  As  soon  as  the  Presbyterians  were  in  condition  to 
hold  special  services  they  began  them,  and  the  Lord  at  once 
showed  to  them  also  the  tokens  of  His  favor,  manifesting  His 
power  to  convict  and  to  convert.  The  result  was  that  more 
than  forty  were  added  to  their  number,  more  than  doubling 
them.  The  membership  had,  indeed,  increased,  in  sixteen 
months,  from  twenty-eight  to  seventy.  Others  have  been  added 
since,  from  year  to  year,  or  from  communion  service  to  com- 
munion service.  With  the  losses  sustained,  there  are  now 
seventy-nine  names  on  the  roll.  (3f  the  original  members  still 
belonging,  there  are  but  two — John  Mangus  and  Mrs.  Rachel 
E.  Fenn.  James  H.  BrinkerhofF,  another  of  the  first  members, 
belongs  at  Melmore,  the  other  part  of  this  pastoral  charge. 

In  September,  1(S88,  an  interesting  mother  in  this  Israel, 
Mrs.  Ann  Johnson,  died.  Had  she  lived  seven  days  longer 
she  would  have  numbered  ninety -seven  full  years  of  life. 


THE  FOSTORIA  CHURCH. 

By  Revs.  Henry  Gardner  and  R.  B.  Moore. 

The  first  sessional  records  of  this  church  make  known  the 
fact  that,  according  to  public  notice,  previously  given,  a  meet- 
ing was  held  preparatory  to  the  organization  of  a  Presbyterian 
church  in  the  village  of  Fostoria,  on  the  11th  of  February,  1856, 
at  which  meeting  Rev.  W.  C.  Turner  presided,  and  Edwin 
Bement  was  appointed  clerk,  after  which  the  meeting  was 
opened  with  prayer.  There  were  present  six  persons :  W.  C. 
Turner  (minister  then  preaching  in  the  community),  Mr.  James 
Hill  and  Mrs.  Hill,  his  wife,  Mrs.  Riegal,  Edwin  Bement,  and 
James  M.  Hill. 

A  committee  of  two,  James  Hill  and  Edwin  Bement,  was 
appointed  by  the  moderator  to  prepare  and  present  a  Confession 
of  Faith  and  Covenant,  for  consideration  at  the  next  meeting. 
28 


434  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCHES. 

At  the  next  meeting,  February  25,  1856,  nine  persons  were 
present:  W.  C.  Turner,  minister;  Jas.  Hill  and  wife,  John  Mil- 
ligan  and  wife,  Caleb  Munger  and  wife,  Mrs.  Kiegal,  and  Edwin 
Bement.  The  meeting  was  called  to  order  and  prayer  offered 
by  the  moderator,  wlien  the  Confession  of  Faith  and  Church 
Covenant  of  the  Presbytery  of  Maumee  were  presented  by  the 
committee  and  adopted.  The  members  received  by  letter,  at 
this  meeting,  were  Caleb  Munger,  Ann  Munger,  his  wife ;  John 
Milligan  and  wife,  James  Hill  and  wife,  and  Mrs.  Mary  J.  Riegal. 

Edwin  Bement  was  received  on  profession  of  his  faith,  after 
which  the  members  entered  into  covenant  as  a  church  of  Christ, 
and  Caleb  Munger,  Jas.  Hill,  and  John  INIilligan  -were  chosen 
elders  of  the  church,  and  Edwin  Bement  was  chosen  clerk  of 
the  session.  Rev.  W.  C.  Turner  took  charge  of  the  new  organi- 
zation as  its  pastor. 

The  first  meetings  of  the  church  were  held  in  the  M.  E. 
church,  beginning  August  31,  1856,  on  which  date  Messrs. 
Hill  and  Munger  were  ordained  elders,  and  the  sacrament  of 
the  Lord's  Supper  was  administered. 

During  the  ensuing  two  years,  the  church  services  continued 
to  be  held  in  the  M.  E.  church,  after  which  they  were  held  in 
the  Methodist  Protestant  church  until  the  completion  of  the 
new  church,  which  was  then  being  erected.  The  new  church 
was  completed  some  time  in  the  year  1858,  and  the  small 
membership  moved  in.  The  present  membership  occupied  the 
same  church,  which  was  remodeled  and  enlarged  in  recent 
years,  until,  in  1892,  they  entered  the  new  sanctuary. 

On  September  22,  1861,  the  pastor.  Rev.  W.  C.  Turner,  gave 
in  his  resignation,  which  was  accepted  by  the  members  of  the 
church.  The  pastoral  relation  was  not  dissolved  until  October, 
1862. 

Mr.  Turner  was  an  indefatigable  worker,  an  excellent  or- 
ganizer, as  well  as  a  good  educator.  In  connection  with  his 
pastoral  labors  he  organized  and  taught  a  select  school  for  the 
more  advanced  pupils,  which  numbered,  at  the  outbreaking  of 
the  war,  about  seventy-five  students.     Through  this  school,  as 


THE  FOSTOEIA    CHURCH.  435 

well  as  in  his  pastoral  work,  he  exercised  a  wonderful  influence 
in  moulding  the  minds  and  character  of  the  young  men  and 
women  of  the  community,  and  in  inspiring  them  to  more  and 
better  work.  On  the  outbreaking  of  the  war,  the  pastor, 
together  with  the  large  part  of  the  adult  male  membership  of 
the  church,  entered  the  army,  thus  depleting  very  much  the 
working  forces.  In  common  with  nearly  all  the  churches  of 
the  North,  this  church  suffered  very  much  from  inactivity  and 
low  spiritual  standard,  so  prevalent  throughout  the  whole 
country  at  that  time.  At  the  close  of  the  war  the  spiritual 
vitality  of  the  church  began  slowly  to  revive. 

Returning  again  to  the  period  during  the  war,  after  the 
resignation  of  Mr.  Turner,  the  Rev.  S.  Curtis  was  invited  to 
become  the  minister  of  this  people  for  one  year.  He  labored 
with  them  for  that  time,  but  the  records  are  so  incomplete  dur- 
ing the  dark  period  of  1SG2  and  1863,  that  we  are  left  to  infer 
that  it  must  have  been  difficult  for  the  young  pastor  to  keep 
his  flock  together.  Several  meetings  of  the  session  are  recorded, 
but  not  much  is  said  about  the  spirituality  or  growth  of  the 
church.  During  this  unsettled  period  a  young  man,  who  had 
just  graduated  from  the  seminary  at  Cincinnati,  a  son  of 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hill  who  were  charter  members  of  the  church, 
preached  for  this  people  for  about  six  months.  Perhaps  we  do 
not  give  the  brethren  credit  enough  who  held  the  members  of 
the  churches  together  during  the  war.  Advancement  was 
difficult.  They  did  well  who  guarded  and  kept  intact  what 
they  had. 

In  the  year  1864  (July  16th)  Rev.  R.  H.  Holly  day  was  em- 
ployed by  the  session  for  every  alternate  Sabbath  for  one  year. 
During  this  year  (July  31st)  Mr.  S.  M.  Miller  was  elected  as  an 
additional  elder,  and  on  August  14th  was  duly  inducted  into 
office.  The  pastorate  of  Mr.  Hollyday  continued  till  the  close 
of  1865.  As  already  remarked,  the  spiritual  interests  had 
begun  to  revive  under  this  pastor. 

The  next  ministerial  name  we  find  recorded  is  that  of  Rev. 
E.  J.  Alden,  who  became  pastor  February  18,  1866.     During 


436  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCHES. 

this  year  quite  a  number  united  witli  the  churcli.  Tliis  })as- 
torate  continued  until  August,  18G8. 

The  Rev.  William  Maclaren,  d.  d.,  accepted,  March  1,  LSTO, 
an  invitation  to  come  as  stated  supply  of  the  church  for  one 
year,  at  a  salary  of  $700,  and  he  entered  upon  his  labors  ac- 
cordingly. Wliile  the  pulpit  work  of  Doctor  Maclaren  was  not 
of  the  evangelistic  order,  yet  his  sermons  were  solid  and  strong. 
His  pastorate  was  rather  marked  by  its  solidifying  effect  than 
for  its  popular  attractiveness. 

There  was  an  election  of  elders  August  25,  1.S70,  according 
to  the  rotary  system,  and  Caleb  Hunger  was  elected  for  the  full 
term  of  three  years,  Ephraim  Miller  for  two  years,  John  E. 
Wilkison  for  one  year.  In  this  year  the  churcli  came  under 
the  care  of  the  Presbytery  of  Huron  as  the  result  of  the  Re- 
union. The  labors  of  Dr.  Maclaren  here  closed,  December  1, 
1871.  On  the  1st  of  March,  1872,  this  people  extended  an  in- 
vitation to  Mr.  J.  Emory  Fisher,  a  licentiate,  to  supply  them 
for  one  year,  at  a  salary  of  $800.  He  accepted,  and  was,  on 
the  30th  of  April,  ordained  to  the  Gospel  ministry  by  the  Pres- 
bytery. 

Mr.  Fisher  went  to  work  with  earnestness  and  faitli,  and  in 
the  winter  and  spring  of  1873  the  Lord  blessed  his  labors  with 
a  harvest  of  souls.  It  was  the  Lord's  will  that  he  spend  but 
one  year  in  this  field,  but  before  leaving  he  was  to  see  some  of 
the  fruits  of  his  devoted  service  through  a  very  precious  out- 
pouring of  the  Holy  Spirit. 

The  special  and  powerful  operations  of  the  Spirit  were  first 
manifest  in  a  service  held  at  a  private  house.  A  neighboring 
minister  was  called  in  to  assist  in  some  meetings.  He  found 
the  work  already  begun.  The  special  services  were  conducted 
for  about  two  weeks ;  and  at  each  meeting  there  was  one  or 
more  ready  to  seek  an  interest  in  the  great  atonement.  It  was 
evidently  the  Lord's  work. 

The  result  was  that  about  thirty  were  added  to  the  church — 
well-nigh  doubling  its  actual  membership. 

In  this  case,  as  in  those  at  Norwalk  and  Milan  about  the 


THE  FOSTORIA    CHURCH.  437 

same  time,  there  was  the  reaping  of  a  harvest  from  seed  sown 
before.  It  was  interesting  to  witness  the  gathering  of  the 
sheaves  already  so  ripe  as  to  be  just  ready  for  the  arms  of  the 
harvest  men.  There  was  here  the  assistance  of  an  earnest  and 
intelHgent  eldership.  Their  personal  efforts  and  their  prayers, 
with  those  of  other  Christians,  and  the  labors  of  the  faithful 
minister  were  blessed  !  And  from  this  awakening  a  new  hope 
and  impulse  were  given  to  the  Fostoria  Church,  from  which  it 
has  gone  forward  increasing  in  numbers  and  influence  from 
year  to  year. 

On  the  15th  of  April,  1873,  a  unanimous  call  was  extended 
to  Rev.  D.  Van  Dyke  to  take  charge  of  this  church  as  its 
pastor.  On  the  3d  of  June  the  installation  took  place,  and  the 
church  had  a  regularly  constituted  pastorate.  This  relation 
continued  till  April  17,  1877,  when  it  was  dissolved  by  the 
Presbytery.  During  its  continuance  it  was  marked  by  more 
than  ordinary  activity.  Mr.  Van  Dyke  was  a  very  aggressive 
worker,  and  helped  the  church  up  to  a  higher  spiritual  stand- 
ard. The  membership  was  more  than  doubled  during  his  stay 
as  the  result  of  two  or  three  seasons  of  revival.  It  was  durinsr 
this  pastorate  that  the  great  temperance  move,  known  as  the 
Women's  Crusade,  swept  over  the  State  of  Ohio.  The  church 
and  pastor  were  in  full  sympathy  with  this  reform  movement. 
Mr.  Van  Dyke  took  a  very  active  part  in  it.  He  was  already 
advanced  in  his  temperance  views  and  he  was  courageous  to 
speak  them  at  every  opportunity.  The  saloon  element  in 
Fostoria  were  very  much  enraged  at  the  movement,  and  they 
centred  their  wrath  largel}^  on  Mr.  Van  Dyke.  It  was  believed 
that  at  several  times  they  had  plans  laid  for  waylaying  him 
and  doing  him  serious  injury.  He  was  admonished  of  his 
danger,  but  with  the  courage  of  a  noble  soldier,  yet  with  care, 
he  went  forward  in  bold  condemnation  of  the  vile  traffic  and 
in  advocacy  of  the  highest  temperance  principles. 

In  these  four  years  four  additional  men  were  inducted  into 
the  eldership.  August  31,  1873,  M.  Mergenthaler  was  elected; 
January  25,    1874,   F.    R.  Stuart;    August    29,    1875,   A.   S. 


438  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCHES. 

Bement,  and  Februrary  4,  1877,  0.  J.  De  Wolfe  was  chosen. 
The  only  other  addition  to  the  session  since  that  period  is 
Wm.  M.  Day,  who  was  elected  to  this  office  Februrary  19, 
1888 ;  and  C.  P.  Treat  more  recently. 

The  church  on  June  24,  1877,  extended  an  invitation  to 
Rev.  Joseph  Hughes  to  labor  with  them  as  stated  supply  for 
one  year.  He  accepted,  and  his  labors  were  continued  to  the 
last  Sabbath  of  March,  1881. 

While  he  served  this  people  tliey  again  enjoyed  a  spiritual 
harvest.  In  this  they  w^ere  very  greatly  assisted  by  the  Pres- 
byterian evangelist,  Rev.  H.  H.  Wells  d.  d. 

The  influence  of  Mr.  Hughes  was  especially  valuable  in  the 
way  of  harmonizing  the  membership  of  the  church,  and  mak- 
ing it  strong,  because  perfectly  united. 

April  17, 1881,  at  a  meeting  held  at  the  close  of  the  morning 
service,  a  call  was  extended  to  Rev.  Wm.  Foulkes  to  become 
pastor  of  the  church.  The  call  was  accepted,  and  Mr.  Foulkes, 
as  "pastor  elect,"  began  his  work  June  1st.  During  the  seven 
years  of  his  pastorate  several  revival  seasons  were  enjoyed,  and 
there  was  in  the  church  a  continuous  growth  and  spiritual 
influence.  Every  communion  season,  with  a  single  exception, 
from  two  to  ten  were  added  to  the  membership,  and  the 
actual  growth  was  from  186  to  315  members.  The  pastor's 
salary,  meantime,  was  increased  from  §1000  to  $1500.  In 
1884  some  $5000  were  expended  in  remodeling  and  refurnish- 
ing the  house  of  worship.  A  pipe  organ  was  placed  in  it, 
which  has  added  very  much  to  the  music  rendered.  This  was 
needed  to  make  complete  one  of  the  finest  choirs  in  Northern 
Ohio.  This  choir  has  for  many  years  been  under  the  able  and 
efficient  management  of  Mr.  J.  E.  Wilkison,  and  he  has  made 
it  a  constant  admiration  and  a  joy. 

Mr.  Foulkes  closed  his  pastorate  here  ]\Iay  1,  1888,  leaving 
the  church  in  a  state  of  freedom  from  all  debt  and  with  a 
balance  in  the  treasury.  He  went  to  Kansas,  seeking  better 
health. 

The  pulpit  had  a  temporary  supply  until  July  8, 1888,  when 


THE  FOSTORIA   CHURCH.  439 

a  call  was  extended  to  Rev.  Henry  Gardner,  of  Collinsville,  111. 
The  call  was  accepted,  and  on  the  19th  of  August  Mr.  Gardner 
began  his  labor  here.  He  was  installed  pastor  by  the  Presby- 
ter}^ on  the  loth  of  October  following,  and  continued  till  Janu- 
ary'' 1,  1892,  resigning,  however,  November  15,  1891.  Upon  his 
entrance  upon  the  work  the  church  moved  forward  as  before. 
During  his  first  year  there  was  a  total  increase  in  the  mem- 
bership of  sixty-two,  and  a  net  increase  of  thirty-nine.  The 
number  of  communicants  now  is  360. 

A    NEW    HOUSE    OF    WORSHIP. 

Under  the  ministr}^  of  INIr.  Foulkes  the  sanctuary  was  some- 
what enlarged,  but  was,  and  continued  to  be,  still  too  small  for 
the  congregations.  The  necessit}^  for  a  new  one  w^as  felt  more 
and  more  as  the  membership  enlarged.  Finally,  in  1890-91, 
earnest  steps  began  to  be  taken  toward  securing  a  house 
suitable  to  the  needs  of  the  congregation.  A  new  site  was 
secured  at  a  cost  of  $8000,  toward  the  payment  of  which  the 
parsonage  was  ''turned  in"  at  |2o00.  Subscriptions  were 
taken  and  a  plan  secured  for  the  new  house.  The  work  went 
forward,  and  on  the  29th  of  May,  1892,  the  house  was  opened 
for  public  worship.  In  a  short  time  it  will  be  dedicated  with 
all  debts  canceled.  The  old  sanctuary,  with  the  lot,  is  pre- 
sumed to  be  of  full  value  to  meet  the  remaining  indebtedness 
on  the  new  site.  This  people  now  have  a  house  of  worship 
fully  up  to  the  modern  ideas  of  church  architecture.  It  has 
cost  them,  with  the  furniture,  exclusive  of  the  large  and  splen- 
did new  organ,  about  |30,000.  ]\Ir.  Wilkison  has  undertaken, 
in  his  peculiar  way,  which  never  fails,  to  provide  for  the  cost  of 
the  organ  without  calling  for  subscriptions  for  it  from  the  con- 
gregation. Indeed,  the  work  has  largely  been  accomplished 
already. 

Since  Mr.  Gardner  has  retired  from  the  field,  Rev.  R.  H 
Coulter,  from  Gallipolis,  Ohio,  upon  invitation,  has  been 
acceptably  supplying  the  pulpit,  and  Providence  smiles. 


440  HISTORY  OF   THE   CHURCHES. 

thp:  sabbath  school. 

The  Sabbath  school  was  organized  in  March,  1863,  with  Mr. 
E.  Miller  as  its  superindendent,  who  held  that  position  till 
June,  18G4,  when  he  resigned  on  account  of  feeble  health.  Mr. 
J.  E.  Wilkison  was  then  elected,  and  has  superintended  this 
school  ever  since,  except  for  fifteen  months  in  1S69-70,  when 
Mr.  S.  M.  Miller  filled  the  position.  The  school  in  1864  num- 
bered twenty-two  pupils,  with  four  teachers.  At  present  it  has 
twenty-two  teachers,  seven  officers,  350  pupils,  with  an  average 
attendance  of  over  two  hundred. 

The  orowth  of  the  school  has  been  co-extensive  with  the 
growth  of  the  church ;  and  while  we  remember  the  faithful- 
ness and  earnestness  of  teachers,  officers,  and  pupils,  yet  it  is 
perhaps  due,  in  all  truthfulness,  to  say  that  a  large  share  of 
the  success  has  come  from  the  untiring  and  ever  prompt  faith- 
fulness of  the  superintendent,  J.  E.  Wilkison. 

woman's  missionary  societies. 

The  Woman's  Society  for  Missions  was  organized  by  Mrs.  C. 
Doolittle,  of  Toledo,  in  May,  1878,  with  a  membership  of 
thirty-six.  During  the  fourteen  years  of  its  existence  monthly 
meetings  have  been  held,  and,  though  not  always  so  well 
attended  as  they  might  have  been,  yet  there  has  been  encour- 
agement, and  the  good  women  have  accomplished  much  for 
the  Master.  They  contribute  to  both  the  home  and  foreign 
boards,  holding  a  meeting  for  each  object  in  each  month.  The 
membership  has  increased.  The  officers  of  the  society  in 
1889-90  were :  Mrs.  H.  Gardner,  president ;  Mrs.  Girard  Sheley, 
Mrs.  J.  E.  Wilkison,  Mrs.  J.  M.  Beaver,  and  Mrs.  J.  S.  Craw- 
ford, vice-presidents;  Mrs.  Walter  S.  Payne,  treasurer  for 
Home,  and  Mrs.  William  M.  Day,  treasurer  for  Foreign  Mis- 
sions ;  Mrs.  George  W.  Campbell  was  recording,  and  Mrs.  J.  A. 
Parker  corresponding  secretary. 

The  officers  in  1892  are:  Mrs.  J.  E.  Wilkison,  president; 
Mrs.  W.  S.  Payne,   vice-president ;   Mrs.  C.  A.  Lockhart,  re- 


GREEN  SPRING   CHURCH.  441 

cording  secretary ;  Mrs.  J.  M.  Bever,  corresponding  secretary, 
and  Mrs.  Jessie  Poe,  treasurer. 

There  is  also  a  Home  Missionary  Sewing  Society,  of  which 
Mrs.  C.  E.  Palmer  is  president ;  Mrs.  M.  A.  Wheeler,  secretary, 
and  Mrs.  J.  Crawford,  treasurer;  and  also  a  Doolittle  Band, 
composed  of  the  younger  people,  of  which  Miss  Jennie  Lytle 
is  president;  Mrs.  J.  A.  Higbee,  vice-president;  Miss  Verdi 
Adams,  treasurer,  and  Miss  Fannie  Miller,  secretary. 

Of  the  Y.  P.  S.  C.  E.  Miss  Emma  Boyd  is  president;  Miss 
Minnie  Benham,  vice-president ;  Miss  Ethlyn  Aber,  secretary  ; 
Miss  Fannie  Miller,  treasurer,  and  Miss  Phene  Higbee,  corre- 
sponding secretary. 

During  the  pastorate  of  Rev.  William  Foulkes  his  excellent 
wife  was  a  power  in  the  missionary  and  other  work  of  this 
church.  She  was  also  prominent  in  the  Presbyterial  Society. 
She  was  a  woman  of  remarkable  and  of  lovely  character.  She 
forgot  not  her  home,  her  husband,  or  her  children.  She  sought 
to  be,  in  the  holiest  sense,  a  helpmeet  for  her  husband.  Her 
children  were  her  peculiar  care ;  and  yet  she  went  out  among 
the  people  of  the  congregation  seeking  to  encourage  and  to  help 
them  to  activity  for  Christ.  She  was  able  to  address  audiences, 
greatly  to  their  delight  and  benefit.  She  had  the  courage  of 
candor  and  earnestness,  was  self-possessed  and  at  ease  in  any 
presence,  and  yet  was  always  the  perfection  of  womanly 
modesty  and  self-retirement.  We  are  sorry  to  have  to  wTite 
that  this  noble  woman  was  called  away  from  all  earthly  help- 
fulness and  care  during  this  summer  of  1892.  The  Fostoria 
church  held,  in  view  of  her  death,  a  memorial  service. 


GREEN  SPRING  CHURCH. 

This  church  was  organized  by  a  committee  of  Marion  Pres- 
bytery, consisting  of  Rev.  James  Pelan  and  Elder  L.  M.  Loomis, 
June  18,  1858.  The  following  persons  united  in  the  organiza- 
tion and  were  constituted  "  The  Presbyterian  Church  of  Green 
Spring,"   namely :   David    E.   Hayes,   Henry   Smith,    Martha 


442  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCHES. 

Smith,  Samuel  Hunter,  Electa  Hunter,  Clementine  Stem,  Lydia 
Stem,  and  Hannah  Water. 

David  E.  Hayes,  Samuel  Hunter,  and  Henry  Smith  were 
elected,  ordained,  and  installed  elders. 

Rev.  James  Pelan  preached  a  few  times  for  the  church,  and 
others  occasionally.  But  the  organization  was  without  a  house 
of  worship,  and  continued  mainly  with  only  irregular  supplies 
until  1867.  In  the  meantime  it  had,  with  other  Old  School 
churches  in  the  region,  fallen  to  the  Presbytery  of  Western 
Reserve.  In  1867  the  church  of  Clyde  was  organized  by  a 
committee  of  Huron  Presbyter}^  and  the  congregation  of  Green 
Spring  decided  to  unite  with  it  in  securing  the  services  of 
Rev.  J.  B.  Smith  as  stated  supply,  paying,  as  their  portion  of 
the  salary,  $250.  Mr.  Smith's  labors  began  in  May,  and  on 
the  7th  of  October  (1867)  the  church  unanimously  deter- 
mined to  change  their  relation  from  the  Presbytery  of  Western 
Reserve  to  that  of  Huron.  The  change  was  effected,  and  the 
church  was  received  by  Huron  Presbytery  October  16,  1867. 
Mr.  Smith  supplied  the  two  congregations  for  about  two  years. 

Elder  Samuel  Hunter  died  December  6,  1858 ;  Elder  Henry 
Smith  removed,  in  a  few  years,  to  other  regions ;  and  Elder 
David  E.  Hayes  removed  into  the  bounds  of  the  church  of 
Clyde  and  became  a  member  of  it.  This  church  was,  there- 
fore, left  without  an  elder,  and  from  1869  to  October,  1872, 
there  w^as  only  an  occasional  preaching  service.  In  the  mean- 
time, however,  the  few  members  of  this  little  flock  were  not 
indifferent  to  the  cause  of  Christ,  nor  wholly  inactive.  They 
united  in  the  services  and  work  of  the  other  church  in  the 
village,  though  still  retaining  their  relation  to  the  Presbyterian. 
They  labored  in  the  M.  E.  Sabbath  school,  and  one  of  them, 
Miss  C.  Stem,  was  for  a  time  its  assistant  superintendent,  and 
frequently  acted  in  that  capacity. 

In  the  fall  of  1872  Rev.  R.  B.  Moore  w'as  invited  to  preach 
in  this  village.  A  room  was  secured,  then  called  Weihr's  Hall, 
in  the  building  now  occupied  by  the  Finch  Hotel.  It  was 
furnished  with  seats,  and  during  the  winter,  on  each  Sabbath 


GREEN  SPRING   CHURCH.  443 

morning,  services  were  held  in  this  place,  while  in  the  evenings 
Mr.  Moore  preached  in  the  large  parlor  of  the  Sanitarium,  to 
the  strangers  and  the  feeble  there  assembled,  others  from  the 
village  uniting  to  enlarge  the  congregation.  The  results  of 
this  winter's  pleasant  labors  were  several  additions  to  the  little 
church  and  a  determination  to  erect  a  house  of  worship. 

Mr.  Moore  retired  from  the  field  May,  1873,  but  on  the  9th 
of  July  he  was  present  when  the  church  resolved  to  go  forward, 
and  elected  a  board  of  five  trustees  to  secure  a  lot,  and  to  act 
as  a  building  committee,  and  to  proceed  to  erect  the  house.  A 
few  months  later  the  Rev.  A.  Baker  came  to  their  help,  preach- 
ing for  them  and  encouraging  them  in  their  undertaking.  In 
the  fall  of  1873  the  building  was  erected  and  roofed.  The 
congregation  was  again  without  a  minister,  and,  aside  from  the 
plastering  and  windows,  not  much  was  done  to  complete  the 
house  until  1875-6.  In  June,  1875,  Mr.  Moore  returned,  and, 
after  securing  chairs  for  seating,  preached  in  the  new  house  for 
about  a  year  and  four  months,  during  which  time  the  building 
was  in  the  main  completed,  the  debts  were  covered,  and  the 
sanctuary  was  dedicated  to  the  worship  of  God.  The  dedica- 
tory services  were  conducted  by  Rev.  E.  Bushnell,  d.  d.,  and 
Revs.  J.  T.  Pollock  and  R.  B.  Moore,  Dr.  Buslniell  preaching 
the  sermon.  The  house  is  of  brick,  beautifully  located,  and 
cost  about  forty-two  hundred  dollars. 

The  next  minister  was  Rev.  J.  S.  Axtell,  who  began  to  serve 
this  church,  in  connection  with  Clyde,  regularly,  January  1, 
1878.  Partly  by  his  influence  the  Academy,  now  in  operation, 
was  located  at  this  place.  In  the  summer  of  1882  he  was  made 
a  teacher  in  that  institution,  and  purchased  himself  a  home  in 
the  village,  into  which  he  removed  soon  after.  In  1883  he  was 
chosen  principal  of  the  Academy,  which  position  he  filled,  in 
connection  with  his  labors  in  the  church,  for  two  years,  retiring 
from  both  in  the  summer  of  1885. 

Then,  a  third  time,  Rev.  R.  B.  Moore  returned,  and  began 
to  preach  in  July,  1886,  continuing  till  May  1,  1888.     He  was 


444  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCHES. 

followed  by  Rev.  David  Street,  who  served  this  church  and 
that  of  Clyde  for  one  year  and  four  months. 

In  1883,  May  14th,  David  E.  Hayes  having  returned  to 
Green  Spring,  was  again  chosen  and  installed  elder.  The 
rotary  plan  of  eldership  was  adopted,  but  no  other  elders  were 
at  that  time  chosen.  Mr.  Hayes  has  from  time  to  time  been 
re-elected,  and  continues  to  serve  the  church  in  this  capacity, 
though  now  enfeebled  by  age  and  infirmity.  June  2, 1887, 
S.  P.  Sproul  was  chosen  elder  to  serve  for  two  years,  and  J.  B. 
Schwendt  for  one  year.  They  were  ordained  and  installed  a 
month  later. 

Mr.  Sproul  has  been  several  times  re-elected.  On  the  23d 
of  May,  1 888,  John  B.  Lott  was  chosen,  and  ordained  and  in- 
stalled soon  after.  The  session  at  present  is  composed  of  David 
E.  Hayes,  S.  P.  Sproul  and  John  B.  Lott.  During  the  pastor- 
ate of  Rev.  J.  S.  Axtell  the  house  of  worship  was  frescoed  and 
re-seated  at  an  expense  of  over  four  hundred  dollars. 

In  1887  an  excellent  bell  was  placed  in  the  tower.  In  1888 
the  house  was  furnished  with  new  carpet,  and  new  lamps,  so 
that  it  is  now  a  pleasant  place  for  Christian  Avorship. 

All  of  these  improvements  are  to  be  accredited  to  the 
"  Ladies'  Aid  Society  "  of  the  church,  of  which  ]\Irs.  Dr.  Mar- 
shall, of  the  Green  Spring  Sanitarium,  was  for  some  years  the 
president.  This  Society  has  done  very  much  in  various  ways 
for  this  church.  Indeed,  the  church  owes  much  in  every  way 
to  the  ladies  who  have  so  largely  constituted  it,  and  who  have 
in  its  trying  times  taken  an  interest  in  it.  The  music,  through 
all  its  years,  has  been  almost  wholly  due  to  the  ladies  who 
have  conducted  it,  and  it  has  nearly  always  been  good.  In 
the  years  from  1872  to  1885  Miss  Belle  Finch,  now  Mrs.  Foster, 
presided  at  the  organ,  and  Miss  Nellie  Finch,  with  others,  took 
part  in  the  singing.  In  the  latter  few  years  of  this  time  the 
Misses  Clara  and  Rosa  Freese  assisted.  From  July,  188G,  to 
March,  181)0,  Miss  Rose  Giddings,  now  Mrs.  Haines,  had  charge 
of  the  organ.;  and  with  her  sisters,  and  the  Misses  Wolf,  the 


GREEN  SPRING   CHURCH.  445 

Misses  Marshall,  and  several  young  men,  her  pupils  in  music, 
she  was  able  to  make  a  choir  of  more  than  ordinary  excellence 
for  a  village  of  the  population  of  Green  Spring. 

Since  this  choir  have  resigned  their  place,  while  Miss  Maggie 
Giddings  manages  the  organ  mostly  for  the  Sabbath  school. 
Miss  Maud  Neace  has  taken  charge  of  it  in  the  public  services, 
and  Mrs.  Dr.  D.  P.  Campbell,  Miss  Nellie  Turner,  Mrs.  Warren 
Hahn,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  C.  D.  Ballmer,  Mr.  Warren  Hahn  and 
others  have  been  the  singers,  and  the  music  has  continued  to 
be  good.  Mr.  Ballmer  leads  the  congregation  in  singing  at 
present. 

Moreover,  the  history  of  this  little  struggling  church  Avould 
be  incomplete  without  further  mention  of  the  two  sisters — Miss 
Clementine  and  Miss  Lydia  Stem.  They  were  part  of  the 
original  organization,  and,  although  they  were  so  catholic  in 
spirit  that  they  could  labor  heartily  and  earnestly  in  the  M.  E. 
church  when  they  did  not  have  a  church  of  their  own  choice 
to  support,  yet,  but  for  their  faithful  adherence  to  their  organi- 
zation, it  is  doubtful  whether  there  would  be  a  Presbyterian 
church  in  Green  Spring  to-day.  For  a  number  of  years,  when 
there  was  no  session,  and  no  men  to  take  the  lead,  the}^  were 
active  and  prayerful.  Their  efforts  secured  the  ministry  of  the 
Word,  and  eventually  the  sanctuary,  and  kept  the  church 
and  the  Sabbath  school  alive.  They  have  done  all  in  the  most 
womanly  and  Christian  of  ways,  while  in  their  hearts  a  genuine 
and  charitable  interest  has  been  felt  in  the  village  and  com- 
munity, and  in  all  classes  of  people.  Of  these  sisters,  one.  Miss 
Lydia,  in  the  midst  of  her  interest  and  usefulness,  went  up  by 
death's  gateway  to  the  realms  of  light.  She  was  prostrated  in 
1882,  by  an  affliction  which  could  not  fail  to  tell  her  and  her 
fond  friends,  that  her  days  were  soon  to  be  numbered. 

In  the  calmness  of  a  Christian  faith  she  suffered  and  waited. 
Deeply,  with  her  more  than  common  mind,  and  with  her 
thoughtful  Christian  culture,  she  for  months  continued  to  look 
into  the  truths  of  God's  blessed  Word,  the  doctrines  of  His 
saving  grace,  and  the  heavenly  promises.     She  was   all  the 


446  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCHES. 

wliile  making  them  her  own,  and  in  their  light  she  was  march- 
ing up,  not  doivn,  to  the  grave.  It  was  a  precious  privilege  to 
be,  occasionally,  at  her  bedside,  and  to  hear  from  her  pallid 
lips  the  expressions  of  her  confidence  in  Jesus,  and  to  observe 
how  thoughtfully  and  victoriously  she  moved  on  to  the  uplifted 
doorway,  passing  which  she  was  to  behold  "  the  King  in  His 
beauty."  The  messenger  came  to  bid  her  hence  in  the  early 
spring  of  1883,  and  she  was  with  the  church  on  earth  no  more. 
The  other  sister,  Miss  Clementine,  continued  her  work  for 
the  church  until  the  autumn  of  1886,  when  failing  health  made 
it  needful  for  her  to  seek  a  change  of  climate.  She,  with  her 
now  only  remaining  sister.  Miss  Elizabeth,  went  to  Florida, 
where  they  remained  for  several  years.  Keturning  home  in 
the  early  summer  of  1890,  they  remained  awhile,  then  sought 
further  relief  in  California.  They  have  again  returned  to  the 
region  of  their  home  and  of  the  church  in  which  the  sisters 
have  taken  so  lively  an  interest. 

THE   SABBATH   SCHOOL. 

Since  the  erection  of  the  house  of  worship,  in  1873,  the  Sab- 
bath school  has  been  kept  in  operation.  The  school  had  been 
organized,  however,  before  this  time.  Its  birthplace  may  be 
said  to  have  been  Weirh's  Hall.  It  has  been  superintended  by 
Miss  C.  Stem,  Joseph  Foncannon,  Prof.  H.  C.  Campbell,  Prof. 
E.  0.  Loveland,  S.  P.  Sproul,  Prof.  M.  J.  Hole,  W.  D.  Herrick, 
Miss  Clara  Freese,  and  Prof.  Ed.  Bushnell.  It  is  now  in  suc- 
cessful operation  under  the  management  of  Prof.  M.  J.  Hole,  of 
the  Green  Spring  Academy. 

Of  Mr.  W.  D.  Herrick  it  may  be  sadly  interesting  to  relate 
that  he,  with  his  wife  and  two  interesting  sons,  were  members 
of  the  church  in  Tiffin,  0.,  where  they  had  lived  for  a  year  or 
two.  Mrs.  Herrick  was  a  lady  of  refined  intelligence  and  of 
earnest  Christian  character,  the  daughter  of  a  Presbyterian 
minister  of  the  State  of  New  York.  Mr.  Herrick  was  an  inter- 
esting man,  and  w4th  ability  he  superintended  this  Sabbath 
school  during  the  summer  of  1887.     In  the  late  autumn,  his 


GREEN  SPRING   CHURCH.  447 

wife's  health  being  quite  infirm,  he  removed  with  his  family  to 
Jackson,  Florida,  where  he  had  a  brother  already  residing.  In 
the  summer  of  1888,  during  the  prevalence  there  of  the  yellow 
fever,  the  whole  household,  father,  mother,  brother,  and  two 
sons,  were  swept  away  by  that  fell  disease  within  a  few  days 
of  each  other. 

MISSIONARY. 

This  church  has  had  a  small  missionary  band  composed  of 
a  few  of  its  younger  people.  One  of  its  members,  or  rather  one 
of  its  chief  managers,  and  one  who  was  for  some  years  a  teacher 
in  the  Sabbath  school,  Miss  Mattie  White,  went  out  in  August, 
1888,  to  Paris,  Idaho,  under  the  direction  of  the  Board  of  Home 
Missions,  as  a  teacher  among  the  Mormons.  She  has  continued 
in  that  work  for  the  four  years  past,  earnestly  striving,  through 
her  instruction  and  training,  to  rescue  some  of  the  children  of 
Mormons  from  the  destructive  doctrines  of  that  deluded  people. 
She  has  had  encouraging  success.  She  has  gathered  a  few  of 
the  children  into  her  home,  whore  she  cares  for  them  and  seeks 
to  keep  them  under  Christian  influence.  She  is  greatly  inter- 
ested in  her  work  of  love  ;  her  letters,  which  she  writes  to  the 
Sabbath  school  at  Green  Spring  and  to  other  friends,  are  read 
with  pleasure  and  profit,  and  have  not  failed  to  awaken  in  her 
friends  a  lively  interest  in  her  and  her  school. 

The  Ladies'  Working  Band  is  still  alive.  For  several  years 
Mrs.  J.  R.  McDonald  has  been  its  presiding  officer.  This  posi- 
tion is  now  filled  by  Mrs.  Dr.  D.  P.  Campbell. 

ENCOURAGING   OUTLOOK. 

This  church  has,  in  all  its  past,  had  a  struggling  history.  It 
has,  however,  been  the  subject  of  many  earnest  and  believing 
prayers ;  God  hears  such  prayers.  The  church  has  already 
been  an  untold  blessing  to  tlie  community,  and  it  can  hardly 
fail  to  be  so  in  the  future.  Recently  the  people  have  shown  a 
renewed  interest,  and  a  desire  for  the  continued  means  of  grace, 
in  the  liberality  of  their  subscriptions  to  secure  an  acceptable 
minister.     They  have  gone  far  beyond  their  past  record,  and  it 


448  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCHES. 

is  fondly  hoped  that  the  Lord  has  sent  them  the  right  man  and 
that  the  future  may  gloriously  exceed  the  past.  Why  not  ?  Here 
is  a  lovely  sanctuary,  in  a  charming  region  of  country,  an 
excellent  Sabbath  school,  many  souls  in  all  the  region  around 
yet  unsaved,  a  great  work  therefore  to  be  done,  and  now  the 
means  within  easy  reach  to  support  the  regular  ministration  of 
the  Gospel.  Will  not  the  faith  and  hope  of  those  who  have 
labored  and  prayed  be  yet  realized  ? 

Rev.  J.  M.  Beaver  preached  for  this  people  for  six  months  in 
1890-91.  Since  then  the  services  have  been  irregular.  But  a 
call  has  been  extended  to  Rev.  Wm.  Tussing.  He  has  accepted, 
and  has  entered  upon  his  work  as  the  minister  of  God's  Word 
to  this  church. 

THE  CLYDE  CHURCH. 

By  C.  a.  Miner  and  R.  B.  Moore. 

Among  the  early  settlers  of  Clyde  and  vicinity  were  a  few 
from  the  sturdy  Presbyterian  and  Congregational  families  of 
Western  New  York  and  New  England.  For  some  years  they 
maintained  the  religion  of  their  fathers  by  home  instruction 
and  by  worshiping  in  the  churches  of  their  choice  in  the 
neighboring  towns.  But  the  difficulties  of  attending  those 
distant  places  of  worship  being  great,  some  joined  themselves 
to  the  churches  of  other  denominations  in  the  vicinity,  and 
others  became  indifferent;  so  that  for  man}'  years  the  few  that 
retained  their  denominational  interest,  and  the  few  of  the  same 
faith  that  continued  to  come,  felt  unable  to  establish  and  keep 
up  a  church  of  their  own  order.  Only  now  and  then,  at  long 
intervals,  were  they  able  to  meet  together  in  their  own  neigh- 
hood  for  worship.  At  length,  however.  Rev.  E.  Bushnell,  d.  d., 
pastor  of  the  Presbyterian  church  of  Fremont,  began  to  mani- 
fest interest  in  them  and  to  give  them  more  frequent  services, 
and,  encouraged  by  him,  a  meeting  was  called  for  the  organi- 
zation of  a  church.  On  the  6th  of  April,  1867,  those  interested 
in  the  movement  met  in  the  Baptist  house  of  worship  in 
Clyde,  with  Rev.  E.  Bushnell,  d.  d.,  and  Rev.  George  H.  Fuller- 


THE   CLYDE  CHURCH.  449 

ton,  from  the  Presbj^tery  of  Huron.  After  devotional  exer- 
cises the  following  persons  were  received  as  church  members, 
and  were  united  in  Christian  fellowship  in  the  organization  of 
a  church  according  to  the  rules  of  the  Presbyterian  denomina- 
tion, namely :  J.  W.  Luse,  m.  d.,  Mrs.  E.  C.  Luse,  Hiram  Vincent, 
Mrs.  Julia  Vincent,  Adam  Dunlap,  Mrs.  Kate  B.  Dunlap,  Mrs. 
Margaret  Luse,  Mrs.  Emily  Fletcher,  Mrs.  Jane  Thorp,  Mrs. 
Celestia  Loveland,  George  B.  Fuller,  and  Mrs.  Alvina  Ellsworth. 

Dr.  Luse  and  Hiram  Vincent  were  elected,  ordained,  and 
installed  as  elders,  and  A.  Dunlap  and  George  B.  Fuller  as 
deacons.  On  the  following  Sabbath,  April  7th,  the  first  public 
services  of  the  newly-organized  congregation  were  conducted  in 
the  Baptist  church  by  Rev.  E.  Bushnell,  d.  d.,  who  preached 
and  administered  the  sacrament  of  the  Lord's  Supper.  The 
services  were  solemn  and  impressive,  and  were  long  remem- 
bered by  those  who  were  present. 

Shortly  after  the  organization  of  the  church  the  Rev.  J.  B. 
Smith  was  chosen  as  minister,  and  continued  to  serve  this  con- 
gregation, together  with  that  of  Green  Spring,  for  about  two 
years.  During  this  time  a  weekly  prayer  meeting  was  organized 
and  kept  up,  and  a  number  of  new  members  were  added  to  the 
church. 

In  1869  Rev.  D.  W.  Marvin  became  the  stated  supply.  On 
the  28th  of  February  this  year  the  congregation,  numbering 
at  the  time  about  thirty-six  members,  became  incorporated 
under  the  laws  of  the  State,  and  proceeded  to  purchase  ground 
and  to  erect  a  house  of  worship. 

Elder  Hiram  Vincent  and  C.  A.  Miner  were  made  the 
building  committee.  With  much  self-denial  and  hard  work  on 
the  part  of  the  members,  and  with  aid  from  the  Presbyterian 
Board  of  Church  Erection,  a  neat  and  commodious  brick 
building  was  completed,  and  on  the  first  Sabbath  of  1870  it 
was  dedicated  to  the  worship  of  God. 

On  the  30th  of  January,  1870,  the  Sabbath  school  was 
organized,  and  the  church  being  now  thoroughly  equipped  for 
all  good  work,  grew  in  numbers  and  in  power.     In  1871  Mr. 

29 


450  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCHES. 

E.  R.  Chase,  then  a  student  in  tlie  Theological  Seminary  at 
Chicago,  accepted  a  call  to  minister  to  the  church.  He  was 
ordained  to  the  ministry  at  this  place  in  June  of  the  same 
year,  and  on  April  29th  of  the  following  year  he  was  regularly 
installed  as  pastor.  A  sad  loss  fell  upon  the  church  and  com- 
munity on  November  29,  1871,  in  the  sudden  death  of  Elder 
Hiram  Vincent  and  his  wife.  They  were  excellent  people, 
respected  by  all  who  knew  them.  They  had  been  among  the 
first  to  take  an  interest  in  the  church,  had  labored  and  given 
liberally  for  the  erection  of  the  house  of  worship.  There  were 
none  of  this  little  society  whose  loss  would  have  been  more 
seriously  felt  than  was  theirs.  They  were  just  starting  out  to 
attend  a  Sunday-school  convention  at  Green  Spring,  and  not 
far  from  their  home,  in  crossing  the  Lake  Shore  Railroad  track, 
their  buggy  was  struck  by  the  train,  and  both  of  them  were 
instantly  killed.  Serious  evils  have  resulted  to  this  church 
from  the  death  of  this  devoted  couple,  as  much  had  been 
hoped  from  them  financially. 

In  the  following  year,  1872,  David  E.  Hayes  and  A.  J. 
Wilder  were  added  to  the  eldership. 

A  gracious  revival  visited  the  church  in  the  beginning  of 
1873.  The  spirit  of  revival  at  that  time  prevailed  to  a  high 
degree  in  the  surrounding  communities.  As  the  result  of  the 
blessing  here,  there  were  added  to  the  membership,  on  the  6th 
of  April,  twenty-seven  souls. 

Rev.  E.  R.  Chase  was  a  young  man  of  excellent  spirit,  of 
fine  prospects,  and  was  beloved  by  all.  The  church  prospered 
under  his  pastoral  care,  but  his  health  had  been  impaired 
while  serving  in  the  army  of  his  country.  He  sank  under 
disease  of  the  lungs,  and  on  the. 25th  of  jNIay,  1874,  he  passed 
to  his  eternal  reward.  His  departure  was  deeply  mourned  by 
his  people  and  by  the  many  friends  who  knew  his  worth. 

In  the  following  year,  1875,  March  24th,  Rev.  A.  M.  Meili, 
took  charge  of  this  field.  He  had  been  for  some  years,  and 
until  quite  recently,  a  priest  in  the  Roman  Catholic  Church. 
He  had,  however,  become   a  Presbyterian,  being  received  as 


THE   CLYDE  CHURCH.  451 

such  by   the  Presbytery  of  Wooster.     He   entered  upon   his 
labors  here,  as  his  first  charge  in  the  denomination,  and  was 
received  and  recognized  by  the  Presbytery  of  Huron  as  an 
ordained  minister.     He  had  not  been  in  Clyde  many  months 
until  troubles  began  to  arise  in  the  church,  which  continued 
to  increase  in  seriousness.     They  had  their  origin  in  personal 
difficulties  among  a  few  of  the  members ;  and  they  were  mag- 
nified by  the  efforts  of  Mr.  Meili  and  the  session,  in  part,  to 
enforce  stricter  conformity  to  the  rules  of  the  church.     These 
troubles,  by  reason  of  various  aggravations,  especially  by  reason 
of  the  prevalent  disposition  to  talk   about  them  and  add   to 
their  causes,  increased  to  such  proportions  that  the  Presbytery 
was  called  upon  to  try  to  adjust  them.     The  Presbytery  met  in 
the  house  of  worship  in  Clyde  on  the  24th  of  January,  1876, 
and  devoted  four  days  to  an  investigation,  not  with  the  design 
of  condemnation,   or  of  resorting  to  judicial  severity,  but   to 
learn  the  facts   if  possible   and  then  to  give  its  counsel  and 
decision   with  a   view  to  restoring  the  people   to  peace  and 
harmony.     This  effort,  possibly  because  of  the  very  kindliness 
and  moderateness  of  it,  was  utterly  unavailing.     Neither  side 
in  the  dispute  were  satisfied  with  it.     Soon  after,  some  part  of 
the  congregation  thought  that  matters  might  be  improved  by 
the  adoption  of  the  rotary  system  of  eldership,  and  the  Presby- 
ter}'',  at  its  April  meeting,  was  asked  to  direct  the  session  to  call 
a  meeting  of  the  congregation  for  the  purpose  of  considering 
and   voting  upon  the  question  of  such  adoption.     The  elders 
were  so  advised,  but  the  meeting  was  not  called,  and,  at  its 
special  meeting  in  June,  the  Presbytery  was  asked  to  call  such 
meeting   of  the   congregation   itself.     But  this  body  thought 
that  the  church  in  Clyde  was  not  in  condition  to  discuss  and 
decide  so  important  a  matter.     They  therefore,  in  the  interest 
of  peace  again,  resolved  to  direct  the  existing  session  in  Clyde 
to  cease  to  act,  in  their  capacity  as  elders,  until  such  time  as  a 
committee  of  the  Presbytery  which  was  appointed  to  act  as 
the  session  of  the  church  in  their  stead  for  the  time  being 
should  deem  it  advisable  for  them  so  to  act,  or  to  call  the  con- 


452  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCHES. 

gregational  meeting  to  consider  the  question  of  changing  the 
plan  of  the  eldership.  An  appeal  from  this  action  of  the  Pres- 
bytery was  carried  by  two  of  the  elders,  who  supposed  they 
had  been  suspended  from  office  without  charges  being  preferred 
or  hearing  granted,  to  the  Synod.  One  of  these,  failing  to  get 
satisfaction  through  the  Synod,  took  refuge  in  the  M.  E.  Church. 
The  other,  taking  a  better  view  of  the  matter,  retained  his 
place,  and  is  now  a  trusted  elder  in  the  church  of  Green  Spring. 
As  the  result  of  the  investigation  by  the  Presbytery  in  January, 
1876,  one  brother  felt,  and  still  seems  to  feel,  that  he  was  sub- 
stantially shut  off  from  the  communion  of  tlie  Church  by  the 
final  action  of  that  body,  notwithstanding  the  repeated  assur- 
ance by  members  of  Presbytery  that  no  such  thing  was  either 
named  or  intended.  Others,  also,  were  dissatisfied,  and  for  a 
time  it  seemed  as  though  the  church  would  be  entirely  broken 
up. 

Rev.  A.  M.  Meili,  of  course,  gave  up  the  field,  resigning  in 
May,  1876.  The  membership  of  this  church  had  increased  to 
between  seventy  and  eighty  at  the  beginning  of  these  troubles, 
but  now  so'me  applied  for  letters  of  dismissal  to  other  churches, 
others  deserted,  so  that  two  years  later,  at  the  beginning  of 
1878,  only  about  twenty-five  members  could  be  relied  upon  as 
belonging  to  the  church.  During  these  two  years  public  ser- 
vices were  not  held,  except  occasionall}'',  and  the  remnant  be- 
came so  discouraged  that  even  the  prayer  meeting  and  Sabbath 
school  were  discontinued.  At  the  beginning  of  1878  this 
church  united  with  that  of  Green  Spring  in  securing  the 
services  of  Rev.  J.  S.  Axtell.  The  prayer  meeting  and  Sabbath- 
school  were  again  reorganized,  and  notwithstanding  the  many 
difficulties  in  the  way,  the  regular  work  of  the  church  went  on 
smoothly  and  encouragingly. 

All  the  former  elders  having  left  the  church  or  resigned, 
Messrs.  N.  T.  Wilder,  J.  H.  Herrick,  and  H.  T.  Barnum  were 
elected  and  ordained  to  this  office.  In  time  William  Frederick 
and  S.  Bretz  were  added  to  the  session. 

Mr.  Axtell  served  the  two  churches  until  the  summer  of 


THE  CLYDE   CHURCH.  453 

1883,  when,  being  chosen  principal  of  Green  Spring  Academy, 
he  resigned  at  Clyde.  In  the  fall  of  that  year  Rev.  H.  P. 
Barnes  accepted  a  call  to  the  pastorate  of  this  congregation. 
He  was  received  into  the  Presbytery  on  the  24th  of  October, 
and  was  soon  after  installed  by  a  committee  appointed  for  that 
purpose.  This  relation  continued  until  the  2d  of  November, 
1885. 

After  the  resignation  of  Mr.  Barnes,  a  student  of  the  Theo- 
logical Seminary  of  Oberlin,  by  the  name  of  R.  J.  Smith,  was 
employed  to  visit  Clyde  and  preach  on  Sabbaths.  His  preach- 
ing was  acceptable  to  the  people,  and  he  continued  to  supply 
the  pulpit  until  the  winter  of  1887-8.  During  this  time  there 
were  few  additions  to  the  church,  and  the  collections  for  the 
benevolent  objects  were  neglected.  In  the  spring  of  1888  Rev. 
David  Street  entered,  May  1st,  on  the  duties  of  stated  supply, 
and  continued  until  September,  1889.  He  had  met  with  serious 
discouragement  from  the  outstart,  but  accomplished  a  great 
work  for  this  church.  There  were  some  additions  to  its  mem- 
bership. His  preaching  was  heard  with  interest  by  respectable 
congregations,  and  there  was  much  that  was  hopeful  in  the 
Sabbath  school  and  the  prayer  meeting.  But  the  special  work 
of  Mr.  Street  was  in  taking  the  house  of  worship  from  the 
hands  of  the  sheriff  and  the  law.  A  debt  had  been  hang- 
ing over  this  house  from  the  time  of  its  erection.  It  had  been 
all  the  while  increasing.  The  debt  the  church  was  not  dis- 
posed to  pa}^,  some  of  them  claiming  that  the  party.  Elder 
Vincent,  killed  in  November,  1871,  with  whom  it  was  con- 
tracted, had  declared  his  purpose  never  to  collect  it ;  others, 
however,  regarded  this  as  a  mistake.  One  family  of  the  heirs 
of  Mr.  Vincent  claimed  and  demanded  the  amount  they  sup- 
posed to  be  due  them.  As  their  demand  was  not  satisfied,  they 
pushed  the  matter  in  law,  and  the  church  was  eventually  sold. 
The  sale,  however,  was  not  effective,  and  the  matter  stood  in 
this  unpleasant  position  when  Mr.  Street  came  to  the  charge. 
In  the  course  of  the  year  he  gathered  the  facts  in  the  case,  and 
concluded  that  it  was  a  difficulty  that  ought  to  be  and  could 


454  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCHES. 

be  settled.  He  learned,  by  correspondence,  the  amount  of 
money  that  would  be  accepted  as  a  full  and  satisfactory  settle- 
ment of  the  claim,  and  then  went  to  work  and  secured  sub- 
scriptions for  the  larger  part  of  it,  when  the  "  Ladies'  Society  " 
of  the  church  furnished  the  balance,  and  the  debt  was  canceled. 
The  removing  of  this  incubus  was  a  great  matter  to  this 
church.  It  cleared  the  coast  for  their  future  action.  Within  a 
few  months  after  this  Mr.  Street  removed  to  the  Wooster  Pres- 
bytery. The  church  then  had  occasional  supplies  till  February 
1,  1891,  when  Rev.  G.  E.  Wilson  came  to  them.  He  is  now 
their  minister,  and  the  people  are  encouraged.  Since  his  com- 
ing among  them  they  have  rebuilt  and  enlarged,  as  well  as 
modernized,  their  house  of  worship  at  a  cost  of  $4000. 

The  elders  at  present  are  N.  T.  Wilder,  J.  H.  Herrick,  H.  T. 
Barnum,  William  P.  Lash,  and  Solomon  Bretz. 

SABBATH   SCHOOL   AND    MISSIONS. 

The  Sabbath  school  was  organized  January  30, 1870.  Among 
those  who  at  that  time  were  especially  interested,  and  active 
in  its  work  were  Elder  Hiram  Vincent  and  his  wife,  Charles 
A.  Miner,  and  A.  J.  Wilder.  The  school  has  fluctuated  along 
with  the  church,  and  when  there  was  not  much  of  the  church 
there  was  little  of  it.  It  has,  however,  for  the  past  few  years, 
been  in  a  prosperous  state.  It  is  well  attended  by  as  interest- 
ing a  class  of  people  as  can  be  found  anywhere,  and  it  is  well 
managed  and  full  of  life.  The  superintendent  for  a  number  of 
years  has  been  George  H.  Richards,  and  his  assistant  X.  T. 
Wilder.  Much  of  the  hopefulness  of  this  chureh  is  in  its 
Sabbath  school. 

There  has  for  some  time  been  in  operation  a  "  Woman's 
Union  Society  of  Home  and  Foreign  Missions."  Its  officers 
are  as  follows :  President,  Mrs.  Seba  Wickwire  ;  vice-president, 
Mrs.  G.  E.  Wilson;  secretary.  Miss  Maggie  Evans;  treasurer 
of  Home  Missions,  Miss  E.  C.  Wilder,  and  treasurer  of  Foreign 
Missions,  Mrs.  C.  A.  Miner. 

With  a  new  sanctuary,  an  acceptable  minister,  a  good  Sab- 


CHURCH  AT  EL3I0EE.  455 

bath  school,  and  women  awake  to  the  cause  of  missions,  we 
may  safely  say  this  church  has  risen  above  the  storm  clouds, 
and  will  yet  prove  a  j)ower  for  good  in  the  community  and  the 
world. 

CHURCH  AT  ELMORE. 

Bv  Rev.  A.  P.  Johnson  and  R.  B.  Moore. 

The  Presbyterian  church  at  Elmore  was  organized  b}''  Rev. 
P.  C.  Baldwin,  presbyterial  missionary  of  Maumee  Presbytery, 
July  18,  1869.  The  following  eight  persons  were  present  to 
unite  in  the  organization,  namely :  David  Gibbs  and  Eliza 
Cribbs,  of  the  Presbyterian  church  of  Troy ;  Travis  Kelley  and 
Helen  Kelly,  of  the  Presbyterian  church  of  Weston ;  S.  G.  Ros- 
siter  of  the  Congregational  church  of  Sandusky ;  Mary  J. [Smith, 
of  the  Presbj'terian  church  of  Liverpool,  0. ;  Mary  Moore,  of 
the  Presbyterian  church  of  Deerfield,  ]\Iich. ;  ]\Iaria  Wertman, 
of  the  Presbyterian  church  of  Warren,  0. 

David  Gibbs  M'as  chosen  and  ordained  an  elder.  The  Con- 
fession of  Faith  of  the  Presbyterian  Church  was  adopted.  The 
Lord's  Supper  was  first  administered  July  26,  1869. 

The  Rev.  P.  C.  Baldwin  continued  ministering  to  the  church 
as  he  was  able,  obtaining  for  it  occasional  supplies.  But  the 
church  did  not  grow,  and  the  elder  and  his  family  removed  to 
the  West,  so  that  the  little  fold  was  scattered  and  nearly  extinct, 
when,  in  1873,  John  Smith  and  Gustavus  Jaeger  were  chosen 
and  ordained  elders,  and  Henry  Moore  deacon,  and  a  number 
were  added  to  the  membership,  and  steps  were  taken  for  the 
erection  of  a  house  of  worship.  With  the  aid  of  the  Board  of 
Church  Erection  a  building,  a  pleasant  and  substantial  struc- 
ture of  brick,  was  erected  and  paid  for.  Rev.  D.  AV.  Marvin 
was  very  helpful  in  building  this  church.  Mr.  Baldwin  con- 
tinued to  care  for  the  organization  until  the  beginning  of  1875, 
when  Rev.  A.  P.  Johnson  became  the  stated  supply,  continuing 
as  such  for  three  years,  during  which  time  there  was  continual 
growth  by  additions  to  the  church  and  increase  of  the  congre- 
gation.    Aid  was  received  from  the  Board  of  Home  Missions. 


456  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCHES. 

The  ordinances  of  God's  house  were  regularly  administered. 
The  Sunday  school  and  prayer  meeting  were  held  without 
intermission, 

Mr.  Johnson  retiring,  the  church  was  without  a  pastor  or 
stated  supply  for  about  one  year,  when  Rev.  C.  K.  8moyer 
began  his  labors  here  in  1879,  continuing  to  perform  faithfully 
his  work  until  1884.  There  were  constant  additions  and  a 
healthy  growth,  as  appears  from  the  records,  but  there  was  no 
marked  revival  in  this  time. 

In  the  summer  of  1881  Mr.  D.  A.  Heron,  a  student  of  Lane 
Seminary,  supplied  the  church  during  his  vacation. 

July  19th  of  that  year  the  fifteenth  anniversary  of  the 
organization  of  the  church  was  observed  with  a  good  degree  of 
interest.  A  number  were  at  the  time  added  to  the  member- 
ship, and  fourteen  children  were  baptized  by  Rev.  A.  P.  John- 
son, then  of  the  Presbytery  of  West  Jersey.  He  also  preached 
the  anniversary  sermon,  Rev.  P.  C.  Baldwin  preaching  in  the 
evening.  During  the  fall  and  winter  following  the  church  had 
only  occasional  preaching.  The}'  were  expecting  Mr.  Heron 
to  return  to  them  when  his  studies  were  completed,  which  he 
did  in  the  spring  of  1885.  He  had  been  licensed  and  ordained, 
and  having  labored  at  Elmore  through  the  summer,  he  was 
received  by  the  Presbytery  on  the  29th  of  September,  from  the 
Presbytery  of  Union.  On  the  same  day  he  accepted  the  call 
to  the  pastorate  of  the  Elmore  church  and  was  installed.  There 
was  increase  of  interest  and  activity  in  the  church,  with  ap- 
parent prosperity.  During  the  winter  of  1887  an  evangelist, 
]\Ir.  Bauchman,  of  Tennessee,  visited  this  place  and  labored  for 
a  season  with  great  acceptance.  As  a  result,  between  forty  and 
fifty  accessions  were  secured,  a  large  portion  of  them  being 
children. 

April  21,  1887,  additional  elders  were  elected — Adelbert 
Baughman  for  two  years  and  Philip  Smith  for  one  year.  John 
Uncapher  was  elected  deacon  for  three  years.  Elder  John 
Smith,  who  had,  from  near  the  organization  of  the  church, 
been  a  great  help  in  every  good  work,  had  passed  away,  by 


CHURCH  AT  ELMORE.  457 

death,  on  the  12th  of  October,  1886.  His  death  has  since  been 
felt  as  a  great  loss  to  this  people. 

In  the  autumn  of  the  year  1887,  ]Mr.  Heron  was  called  away  to 
his  father's  death-bed,  and  did  not  return  to  resume  his  work. 
Family  affairs  seemed  to  demand  his  attention  elsewhere.  In 
the  course  of  a  few  weeks  the  Presbyter}^  was  called  upon  to 
dissolve  the  pastoral  relation,  which  had  given  promise  of  so 
much  good  to  the  church.  The  relation  was  dissolved ;  and 
from  that  time  the  congregation  had  no  regular  ministerial 
supply  until  July,  1888,  when  Rev.  A.  P.  Johnson  again  re- 
turned, and  continued  to  labor  until  April,  1889.  He  then 
removed  into  the  bounds  of  the  ]\Iaumee  Presbytery,  and  the 
church,  in  connection  with  Genoa,  extended  a  call  to  Rev.  Wm. 
H,  Day  to  become  their  minister.  He  accepted  and  entered 
upon  his  labors  about  the  first  of  May. 

Both  Mr.  Johnson  and  Mr.  Day  found  the  field  in  rather  an 
unsettled  condition,  and  difficult  to  manage  successfully.  Of 
the  membership  of  about  one  hundred  and  fifteen  a  large  per 
cent,  of  them  were  quite  young  people.  Man}'-  of  them  were 
added  as  the  result  of  the  work  of  the  evangelist  and  of  the 
revival.  They  came,  too,  from  families  who  had  not  been  con- 
nected with  the  Presbyterian  Church,  and  had  therefore  none 
of  that  attachment  to  it  which  comes  of  early  training,  and 
they  lacked  the  sense  of  responsibility  as  church  members. 
The  pastor,  Mr.  Heron,  leaving  so  soon  after  they  had  been 
received,  they  were  for  a  time,  just  when  they  most  needed  it, 
without  that  loving  care  and  paternal  instruction  which  that 
pastor  especially  was  expected  to  give  them,  and  consequently 
the}''  were  not  brought  into  full  and  hearty  identity  with  the 
body  of  the  church.  They  soon  began  to  scatter,  and  were, 
many  of  them,  to  be  found  in  other  places  than  the  sanctuary 
where  they  were  supposed  to  have  found  the  Lord,  and  where 
they  did  avow  themselves  as  His  followers.  This  state  of 
things  could  not  be  otherwise  than  trying  to  the  new  pastor, 
whoever  he  might  be.  It  was  so  to  the  eldership  and  to  the 
church. 


458  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCHES. 

In  addition  to  all  this,  about  the  time  of  Mr.  Heron's 
departure,  or  a  little  before  it,  a  serious  financial  trouble  fell 
upon  the  village  and  community  of  Elmore  which  sadly 
affected  the  Presbyterian  church.  It  resulted  from  the  finan- 
cial failure  of  a  prominent  member  of  the  church,  and  it 
directly  or  indirectly  affected  others  within  and  out  of  the 
church.  It  was  simply  one  of  those  difficulties  which  are 
beyond  the  reach  of  man  to  heal.  Ministers  are  not  responsi- 
ble for  them,  nor  can  they  stay  their  tempestuous  tide.  In 
view  of  these  facts  the  stay  of  both  Mr.  Johnson  and  ]\Ir.  Day 
in  Elmore  was  short. 

Mr.  Day  retired  from  the  field  after  having  been  upon  it  but 
little  over  a  year.  His  health  had  partially  failed  and  he  was 
compelled  to  be  silent  for  a  brief  time.  The  church  was  for  a 
time  but  irregularly  supplied  with  the  preached  gospel.  In 
course  of  time,  however,  Rev.  C.  K.  Smoyer  returned  to  them 
again.  Upon  leaving  them  in  1884,  he  engaged  for  a  time  in 
the  work  of  school  superintendency,  and  eventually  went  to 
Dakota  to  preach.  He  returned  to  his  former  field  of  Elmore 
and  Genoa,  and  was  received  by  the  Presbytery  of  Huron  from 
that  of  Black  Hills  on  the  13th  of  April,  1892.  He  has  built 
for  himself  a  home  in  Elmore,  and  it  is  to  be  hoped  that  his 
residence  here  may  be  permanent  and  his  work  successful. 

ELDERSHIP  AND  SABBATH  SCHOOL. 

The  elders  at  present  are,  J.  Gustavus  Jaeger,  Robert  Chapin, 
and  Albert  Stewart. 

The  Sabbath  school  has  been  regularly  kept  up  all  the  time, 
whether  there  was  a  minister  in  charge  or  not,  through  the 
earnest  and  efficient  efforts  of  Elder  J.  G.  Jaeger.  He  is  a  man 
wide  awake  to  the  demands  of  the  times,  and  has  for  a  number 
of  years  superintended  this  school,  and  manages  to  keep  it  in 
successful  operation.  Besides  now  having  one  sermon  every 
Sabbath,  the  prayer  meetings  are,  and  have  been,  regularly 
held.  Improvements,  too,  have  been  made  in  the  house  of 
worship,  so  that  it  is  in  good  repair  and  pleasant  in  its  accom- 


THE  CHURCH  IN  GENOA.  459 

modations.     The    attendance  upon   the   Sabbath   services   is 
good,  perhaps  especially  so  in  the  evenings. 


THE  CHURCH  IN  GENOA. 

There  had,  for  some  time  prior  to  187G,  been  a  small  number 
of  people  in  Genoa  desirous  of  having  a  Presbyterian  church. 
They  had  formed  a  sort  of  society,  and  had  been  holding 
prayer  meetings  from  house  to  house.  After  Rev.  A.  P.  John- 
son became  the  stated  supply  of  the  Elmore  church,  he  began 
to  preach  occasionally  in  Genoa.  The  result  was  an  increased 
desire  for  a  church  organization,  in  accordance  with  which  a 
meeting  was  held  on  the  6th  of  March,  1876,  and  the  following 
paper  adopted : — 

"  Whereas,  We  whose  names  are  undersigned  believe  that 
the  public  worship  of  Almighty  God  is  a  solemn  duty,  and  is 
adapted  to  promote  the  morality,  good  order,  and  consequent 
prosperity  and  happiness  of  any  community,  as  well  as  advance 
the  interests  of  true  religion  ;  and 

"  Whereas,  Great  social  advantages  are  to  be  secured  only 
by  combined  effort ; 

"  We,  therefore,  agree  and  bind  ourselves  together  to  assist 
each  other  in  securing  the  stated  administration  of  the  Gospel 
through  a  Presbyterian  society,  and  especially  in  securing  the 
services  of  Rev.  A.  P.  Johnson  as  our  pastor." 

The  names  signed  are:  E.  P.  Bartlett,  D.  F.  Lewis,  F.  0. 
Wyman,  F.  B.  Clock,  A.  Rodgers,  James  Smith,  John  Wells, 
Wm.  Smith,  S.  S.  Smith,  T.  P.  Taylor,  Wm.  F.  Ford,  and  A.  H. 
Hopper. 

On  the  24th  of  April  following  a  meeting  was  held  in  the 
office  of  Dr.  E.  P.  Bartlett  for  the  purpose  of  taking  further 
preparatory  steps  toward  an  organization.  At  this  meeting 
Rev.  A.  P.  Johnson  was  called  to  the  chair  and  Dr.  Bartlett 
was  made  secretary.  It  was  decided  to  become  formed  into  a 
church,  and  to  call  the  organization  "  The  Presbyterian  Society 
of  Genoa."     The  following  men  were  elected  to  fill  the  office  of 


460  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCHES. 

trustee:  D.  F.  Lewis  and  F.  0.  Wyman,  for  one  year;  James 
Smith  and  Wm.  F.  Ford,  for  two  years ;  AVm.  Clock  and  E.  P. 
Bartlett,  for  three  years.  Means  were  adopted  also  for  securing 
funds  to  carry  forward  the  undertaking. 

At  the  meeting  of  Huron  Presbytery,  on  the  12th  of  April, 
1876,  the  matter  had  been  brought  before  that  body,  and  a 
committee  of  three,  consisting  of  Rev.  A.  P.  Johnson,  Rev.  E. 
Bushnell,  d.  d.,  and  Elder  J.  G.  Jaeger,  of  the  church  of  Elmore, 
had  been  appointed  to  organize  a  church  at  Genoa  if  they 
should  deem  it  expedient.  This  committee  met  in  the  M.  E. 
church,  in  Genoa,  on  the  18th  of  June  following,  and  constituted 
a  church  of  Christ  according  to  the  Presbyterian  standards  of 
doctrine  and  discipline.  The  church  adopted  the  Westminster 
Confession  of  Faith  as  containing  the  system  of  doctrine  taught 
in  the  Holy  Scriptures.  The  following  persons  presented  letters 
of  dismission  from  other  churches,  and  were  enrolled,  namely : 
Dr.  E.  P.  Bartlett,  Mrs.  Dela  Lewis,  Mrs.  Sarah  E.  Lewis,  Mr. 
Wm.  B.  Clock,  Mrs.  Lucinda  Clock,  Mr.  A.  H.  Hopper,  Mrs. 
V.  P.  Hopper,  Mr.  Joshua  Rodgers,  Mr.  Adolphus  Rodgers, 
Mrs.  Mary  Ann  Rodgers,  Miss  Eliza  J,  Smith,  Miss  Mary  J. 
Wanhope,  Mr.  Stephen  Miner. 

The  following  were  received  upon  profession  of  faith  :  James 
Smith,  Mrs.  Elizabeth  Smith,  Miss  Mary  E.  Miner,  Miss  Alice 
Clock,  Miss  Florence  Clock,  Miss  Susan  Smith,  Thomas  Smith, 
Robert  Hutchinson. 

After  entering  into  covenant  and  being  declared  a  church, 
the  rotary  system  of  eldership  was  adopted,  and  the  following 
persons  were  elected  to  this  office :  Adolphus  Rodgers,  for  two 
years,  and  E.  P.  Bartlett,  for  three  years.  Dela  Lewis  was 
chosen  deaconess. 

On  the  13th  of  September  following  the  church  was  received 
under  care  of  the  Presbytery. 

Rev.  A.  P.  Johnson  continued  to  minister  to  this  church 
until  November  1,  1878.  The  Rev.  C.  K.  Smoyer  succeeded 
Mr.  Johnson  immediately,  and  labored  earnestly  and  faithfully 
until  December  12,  1886.     No  house  of  worship  was  erected  by 


THE  CHURCH  IN  GENOA.  461 

this  society  until  18S3-4.  Under  the  ministrations  of  INIr. 
Smoyer  additions  were  made  to  the  membership,  but  financially 
the  church  continued  weak. 

Some  steps  had  been  taken  in  1877  toward  securing  a  house 
of  worship,  but  without  material  results. 

In  September,  1883,  a  committee  w^as  appointed  to  make 
renewed  efforts  in  this  direction.  This  time  there  would  doubt- 
less have  been  failure  again  but  for  the  earnestness  and  energy 
of  ]\Ir.  Smoyer.  jNIoney  was  the  hard  thing  to  get,  as  the  people 
belonging  to  the  church  did  not  have  it  in  large  quantities.  Mr. 
Smoyer  went  to  Mr.  John  Wells,  who  owned  lands  several  miles 
from  the  village,  and  asked  him  if  there  were  trees  in  his  woods 
that  could  be  used  in  the  construction  of  the  church.  Mr.  Wells 
told  him  to  take  men  to  his  woods  and  select  and  use  what  he 
could  find.  Mr.  Smoyer  secured  men  and  teams  and  went  to 
work,  cutting  and  drawing  logs  to  the  mill,  and  soon  had 
enough  for  his  house.  The  foundation  was  built,  and  the 
preacher,  with  other  volunteer  help,  prepared  the  lumber  and 
put  up  the  building.  The  work  was  done  in  considerable  part 
without  wages,  Mr.  Smoyer  himself  using  the  saw,  the  square, 
and  the  hammer.  A  very  neat  structure  was  the  result. 
The  estimated  cost  was  about  $1200,  $500  of  which  was 
paid  by  the  Board  of  Church  Erection,  and  the  balance  by  the 
laborers  and  the  people  of  the  place.  Several  men  not  particu- 
larly interested  in  the  church  itself,  yet  seeing  the  spirit 
and  devotion  of  the  minister  as  he  put  his  own  hand  to  the 
w^ork,  handed  him  sums  varying  from  ten  to  twenty  dollars. 
On  the  8th  of  June,  1884,  the  new  sanctuary  was  dedicated; 
Rev.  R.  B.  Moore,  d.  d.,  preached  the  sermon.  The  house  was 
dedicated  free  of  debt,  with  perhaps  enough  money,  subscribed 
at  the  time,  to  secure  an  organ  and  stoves.  The  minister  and 
the  people  were  full  of  joy.  The  congregation  were,  and  con- 
tinued to  be,  full  of  appreciation  of  the  services  rendered  by 
Mr.  Smoyer,  and  they  felt  that  they  had  suffered  a  great  loss 
when,  two  years  later,  he  gave  up  the  charge  to  devote  himself 
to  work  elsewhere. 


462  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCHES. 

Soon  after  Mr.  Smoyer  resigned,  Rev.  D.  A.  Heron,  who  had 
been  laboring  at  Elmore  as  pastor  for  some  months,  began  to 
preach  at  this  place,  and  continued  to  do  so  until  the  May  fol- 
lowing. Then  Mr.  W.  J.  Gerlach,  a  student  of  Lane  Seminary^ 
conducted  the  services  until  his  return  to  the  Seminary  in  Sep- 
tember. From  this  time  there  was  about  a  year  during  which 
there  was  only  an  occasional  service,  save  a  few  weeks,  in  which 
Rev.  A.  P.  Johnson  ministered.  In  the  latter  part  of  Septem- 
ber, 188S,  Rev.  R.  B.  Moore,  d.  d.,  engaged  to  supply  the  church 
for  six  months,  or  until  a  more  permanent  arrangement  could 
be  made  for  them.  At  the  end  of  that  time  Rev.  Wm.  H.  Day 
took  charge  of  this  church  in  connection  with  that  of  Elmore, 
and  served  for  something  over  a  year.  It  then  was  without 
regular  supply  until  the  return  of  Rev.  C.  K.  Smoyer,  in  the 
autumn  of  1891.  They  now  have  preaching  every  Sabbath, 
alternating  morning  and  evening,  Elmore  having  the  other 
part  of  the  time.  The  men  who  have  served  as  elders  accord- 
ing to  the  rotary  system  are :  W.  B.  Clock,  A.  Rodgers,  E.  P. 
Bartlett,  D.  F.  Lewis,  G.  Richwin,  T.  S.  Smith,  John  AVells,  J. 
H.  Hopper,  John  Burns,  and  T.  P.  Taylor. 

The  session  now  is  composed  of  John  Wells  and  George 
Green. 

This  organization  has  been  largely  kept  alive  by  the  ladies, 
to  whom  a  large  degree  of  credit  is  due  for  their  persevering 
faithfulness.  They  have  collected  a  good  part  of  the  funds 
needful.  One  of  them,  Mrs.  E.  J.  Turner,  has  been  treasurer ; 
another,  Mrs.  Mary  Myers,  for  a  considerable  time  superin- 
tended the  Sabbath  school.  When  not  superintending,  and 
even  when  she  was,  she  has  been  teacher  of  a  class.  Others 
besides  these  have  been  just  as  faithful  and  just  as  earnest. 
The  school  is  at  present  superintended  by  Mrs.  Millie  Warner. 


THE  CHURCH  OF  GRAYTOWN.  463 

THE  CHURCH  OF  GRAYTOWN. 

In  October,  1875,  the  Presbyterian  church  was  organized  at 
Graytown.  This  is  one  of  the  numerous  churches  of  which 
that  energetic  missionary  man,  who  has  but  recently  gone  to 
his  eternal  reward,  Rev.  P.  C.  Baldwin,  has  been  the  father. 
He  preached  in  this  village,  surrounded  by  a  community 
which  is  largely  German  in  its  origin,  found  a  few  Presbyterian 
families,  and  gathered  them  into  a  church. 

At  the  above-named  date  the  organization  was  taken  under 
care  of  the  Presbytery  of  Huron.  Mr.  Baldwin  belonged  to  the 
Presbytery  of  Maumee,  and  may  have  effected  the  organization 
of  the  church  a  little  earlier  than  the  time  specified.  In  a  com- 
paratively short  time,  and  largely  by  the  help  of  a  lady  from 
the  East,  who  owned  property  and  spent  part  of  her  summers 
in  the  vicinity  of  the  village,  and  with  the  further  aid  of  the 
Board  of  Church  Erection,  a  comfortable  house  of  worship  was 
secured. 

The  membership  was  at  the  time  small,  and  continues  to  be 
so.  Indeed,  this  is  the  smallest  Jacob  in  the  Presbytery ;  yet 
there  is  a  field  about  it  in  which  it  ought,  by  the  blessing  of 
God,  to  be  made  a  power  for  great  good.  It  is  exceedingly 
desirable  that  this  region  be  supplied  with  the  means  of  grace 
which  should  be  afforded  through  this  little  church. 

The  elders  elected  at  the  time  of  the  organization  were  L. 
Teacliout  and  Mr.  Berry.  Mr.  Berry  was  a  most  excellent 
man,  and  served  in  the  office  to  which  he  was  chosen  and 
ordained  until  his  death,  which  occurred  about  the  year  1884 
or  1885. 

Mr.  Teachout  is  also  an  excellent  man,  and  stands  at  his 
post.  He  has,  by  his  untiring  faithfulness,  kept  in  active  life 
the  Sabbath  school,  which  was  organized  soon  after  the  church 
was  formed.  The  school  is  under  his  superintendency,  and 
has  been  all  along ;  yet  it  is  conducted  largely  on  the  union 
plan.    It  is  largely  attended,  and  manifests  a  wide-awake  spirit. 

The  men  who  have  ministered  to  this  fold  have  been  :  Revs. 


464  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCHES. 

P.  C.  Baldwin,  A.  P.  Johnson,  C.  K.  Smoyer,  D.  A.  Heron,  R.  B. 
Moore,  and  perhaps  one  or  two  others  for  a  few  Sabbaths. 


THE  CHURCH  OF  CHICAGO. 

FIRST    PREACHING. 

On  or  about  the  1st  of  October,  1888,  Rev.  R.  B.  Moore,  d.  d., 
of  Tiffin,  Ohio,  at  the  request  of  the  missionary  committee  of 
Huron  Presbytery,  visited  Chicago,  Ohio ;  and,  after  confer- 
ence Math  a  few  persons,  he  spent  a  Sabbath  in  the  place  and 
preached.  There  were  known  to  be  some  people  there  who  had 
been  reared  in  the  Presbyterian  Church,  and  whose  connection 
was  still  with  that  Church  in  the  places  from  which  they  had 
removed  to  tliis  village.  Chicago  had  at  this  time  a  popula- 
tion of  about  one  thousand  souls.  Through  the  Presbyterians, 
who  w^ere  interested,  arrangements  were  at  once  made  by  which 
Mr.  Moore  continued  to  visit  the  place  and  preach,  upon  alter- 
nate Sabbaths,  in  the  house  of  worship  of  the  United  Brethren 
church,  for  about  six  months.  Most  of  those  who  were  Presby- 
terian in  faith  had  cast  in  their  lot  temporarily  with  the  United 
Brethren.  They  attended  the  preaching  services,  were  in  the 
Sabbath  school  as  teachers  or  pupils,  were  in  the  choir  as 
leaders  and  as  helpers,  and  gave  their  assistance  in  the  support 
of  this  church  and  in  its  missionary  society.  At  the  end  of  the 
six  months,  when  the  question  "was  raised  as  to  the  propriety 
of  organizing  a  Presbyterian  church,  it  was  thought  best  not  to 
do  so  at  once ;  that  the  Presbyterians  should  not  w^eaken  the 
United  Brethren  church  by  w'ithdrawdng  from  it,  but  should 
rather  give  it  their  help  until  such  time  as  they  could  both  be 
better  spared  from  it  and  better  able  to  go  out  for  themselves. 
The  services  of  Mr.  Moore  therefore  ceased  in  the  village  until 
April,  1890.  About  this  time  the  pastor  of  the  United  Brethren 
church  impressed  the  Presbyterians  with  the  necessity  of  an 
organization  of  their  own,  by  a  determination  upon  his  part 
that  they  should  be  less  active  and  helpful  as  teachers  in  the 
Sabbath   school   than   they  had   been   heretofore.     When  he 


THE  CHUBCH  OF  CHICAGO.  465 

began  to  draw  the  lines,  Mr.  Moore  was  again  sent  for.  He 
returned  and  preached  upon  Easter  Sabbath,  1890,  in  the  Free 
Methodist  church,  located  in  the  southwest  corner  of  the  town. 
A  desire  was  then  expressed  by  a  number  of  j)eople  that  a 
Presbyterian  church  should  be  organized  as  soon  as  it  could 
be  conveniently  done.  Consequently,  at  the  meeting  of  the 
Presbytery,  on  the  9th  of  April,  a  petition  was  presented  to 
that  body,  signed  by  twenty-three  citizens  of  Chicago,  asking 
that  a  church  be  constituted  at  an  early  date.  The  petition 
was  granted,  and  a  committee,  consisting  of  Rev.  P.  B.  Moore, 
D. D.,  of  Tiffin;  Rev.  J.  M.  Seymour,  of  Norwalk;'  Rev.  J.  P. 
O'Brien,  of  Olena,  and  Elder  James  G.  Gibbs,  of  Norwalk,  was 
appointed  to  organize  the  church  at  their  earliest  convenience. 

CHURCH    ORGANIZED. 

This  committee  met  with  a  goodly  number  of  the  people  of 
Chicago  on  the  19th  of  April,  in  the  Free  Methodist  Church. 
A  sermon  was  preached  at  10.30  a.m.,  by  Rev.  J.  M.  Seymour, 
from  Acts  iii,  6.  After  the  sermon  the  Presbyterial  committee 
was  constituted  for  the  examination  and  reception  of  such  as 
proposed  to  unite  with  the  organization.  The  following  per- 
sons presented  letters  from  other  churches,  which  were  found 
in  order  and  accepted :  James  Duncan  and  Mrs.  Anna  M. 
Duncan,  his  wife,  from  the  M.  E.  church  of  Garrett,  Indiana ; 
Mrs.  Sadie  N.  Hedrick,  from  the  Second  Presbyterian  church 
of  Newark,  Ohio  ;  Mr.  Warren  Severance  and  Mrs.  Philinda 
Severance,  his  wife,  from  the  Presbyterian  church  of  Plymouth, 
Ohio ;  Mr.  Coy  A.  Weatherford,  from  the  Presbyterian  church 
of  Aurora,  Indiana ;  Mr.  S.  Tudor,  from  the  United  Brethren 
church  of  Chicago,  Ohio ;  Mr.  J.  C.  Ward  and  Mrs.  Flora  Ward, 
his  wife,  from  the  M.  E.  church  of  Chicago,  Ohio ;  Mr.  John  A. 
Pittsford  and  Mrs.  Josie  R.  Pittsford,  his  wife,  from  the  M.  E. 
church  of  Chicago,  Ohio ;  Mrs.  J.  C.  Hamsher,  from  the  First 
Presbyterian  church  of  Mansfield,  Ohio ;  and  Mrs.  Eliza  A. 
Hamsher,  from  the  Presbyterian  church  of  Doylestovvn,  Ohio. 

The  following  persons  were  then  examined  as  to  their  faith 

30 


466  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCHES. 

in  Christ  and  their  purpose,  trusting  in  divine  grace,  to  lead  a 
life  of  faithfulness  to  God  and  His  Church,  and  they  were 
received :  Mrs.  Nettie  G.  Holler,  Miss  Clara  Severance,  Mrs. 
Paran  C.  Hyler,  Mrs.  Cornelia  Gregory,  Miss  Estella  Gregory, 
Mr.  Scott  Clark,  Mrs.  H.  T.  Arthur,  Mrs.  Clara  E.  Andrews, 
Mrs.  Eva  L.  Keefer,  and  Mrs.  Hilie  Tudor.  The  last  named  was 
received  upon  examination,  in  the  absence  of  her  letter  of  dis- 
missal from  the  United  Brethren  church  of  Salesville,  Ohio. 
The  letter,  however,  was  received  a  few  day  later,  and  Mrs. 
Tudor  was  enrolled  as  received  by  letter  from  said  church. 
These  persons  had  been  in  earlier  life  Presbyterians ;  but  their 
lot  having  been  cast  where  the  circumstances  seemed  to  require 
it,  they  had  given  their  names  and  their  Christian  help  to  the 
other  denominations. 

The  following  persons,  now  received  upon  profession  of 
faith,  had  not  yet  been  subject  to  the  Sacrament  of  Baptism, 
and  it  was  decided  that  the  public  reception  of  all,  and  the 
baptism  of  these  should  be  attended  to  in  connection  with  the 
service  to  be  held  at  2  o'clock,  p.m.,  Mrs.  Nettie  G.  Holler, 
Miss  Clara  Severance,  Miss  Estella  Gregory,  Mr.  Scott  Clark, 
and  Mrs.  Clara  E.  Andrews. 

The  congregation  was  then  dismissed,  to  meet  at  2  p.  m.  At 
this  hour  the  people  again  assembled  ;  a  sermon  was  preached 
by  Rev.  J.  P.  O'Brien,  of  Olena,  from  Acts  i,  5,  after  which  the 
committee  proceeded  to  organize  the  church. 

Those  who  came  in  upon  examination  stood  up  and  made  a 
public  profession  of  their  faith  in  Christ  and  in  His  Word, 
and  declared  their  purpose  and  promise,  God  helping  them,  to 
be  His  true  and  faithful  servants.  The  five  named  above  as 
not  having  been  baptized  then  received  this  sacrament.  Then 
all  those  received  by  letter  and  those  upon  profession  of  their 
faith,  arose  and  declared  their  desire  to  be  constituted  into  a 
Presbyterian  church  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  their  purpose 
and  promise  to  pray  and  labor  together  as  one  fold  in  the 
Lord's  holy  service,  and  their  desire  thus,  in  faith  and  mutual 
love,  to  honor  His  great  name. 


THE  CHURCH  OF  CHICAGO.  467 

Three  of  the  brethren,  namely,  S.  Tudor,  "Warren  Severance, 
and  John  A.  Pittsford,  were  then  elected  to  the  office  of  ruling 
elder.  Five  men  were  chosen,  also,  as  trustees :  Scott  Clark, 
AVarren  Severance,  John  A.  Pittsford,  Dr.  Otis  Sykes,  and  S.  P. 
Andrews. 

It  was  next  resolved  by  the  congregation  that  the  organiza- 
tion be  called  The  Presbyterian  Church  of  Chicago,  Ohio.  The 
matter  of  securing  at  an  early  day  a  house  of  worship  was 
briefly  considered,  and  it  was  decided  that  the  whole  matter 
should  be  referred  to  the  now  elected  Board  of  Trustees,  and 
that  they  should  have  the  power  to  select  a  building  commit- 
tee for  this  important  purj^ose.  These  matters  having  thus 
been  attended  to,  to  the  satisfaction  of  all,  so  far  as  they  could 
be  at  the  time,  Rev.  R.  B.  Moore,  chairman  of  the  Presbyterial 
committee,  then,  in  the  name  of  God  and  of  the  Lord  Jesus 
Christ,  and  by  the  authority  of  the  Presbytery  of  Huron, 
declared  the  Presbyterian  Church  of  Chicago,  Ohio,  with  the 
members  above  named,  to  be  duly  constituted,  praying  that,  as 
a  church  of  the  Lord  Jesus,  the  rich  blessing  of  God  might  rest 
upon  them. 

Rev.  J.  M.  Seymour  then  addressed  the  members  of  the 
church  now  constituted  ;  exhorting  them  to  take  special  pains 
to  preserve  among  them  the  spirit  of  harmony  and  love ;  to 
endeavor  to  be  present  at  all  the  services  of  the  Lord's  house, 
both  old  and  young ;  to  be  careful  to  keep  acquainted  with  each 
other  in  social  life,  in  sickness,  in  trouble,  and  at  all  times 
showing  Christian  sympathy ;  and  to  be  watchful  and  prompt 
to  get  acquainted  with  strangers,  and  to  give  them  cheerful 
welcome,  considering  that  this  church  and  its  well-being  are 
the  most  important  things  in  their  lives  while  they  are  located 
here.  The  services  were  concluded  with  the  singing  of  a 
hymn  and  the  benediction. 

ELDERS    ORDAINED. 

On  the  10th  of  May,  1890,  after  a  sermon  by  Rev.  J.  P. 
O'Brien,  Rev.  R.  B.  Moore  also  being  present,  the  elders  elected 


468  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCHES. 

— Warren  Severance,  S.  Tudor,  and  John  A.  Pittsford — were 
duly  ordained  and  installed  into  their  sacred  office.  The  con- 
gregation being  dismissed,  this  Session  was  convened  for  their 
first  transaction  of  business.  All  were  present,  together  with 
the  two  ministers  above  named.  After  the  opening  by  prayer, 
Miss  Mary  L.  Chew  was  received,  upon  examination,  as  an 
additional  member  of  the  church,  as  was  also  Mr.  Nelson  B. 
Parker.  Upon  the  following  day,  which  was  the  Sabbath,  Mr. 
O'Brien  preached,  publicly  inducted  these  two  persons  into  full 
communion,  baptizing  Miss  Chew,  and  administered  the  Lord's 
Supper. 

HOUSE    OF    WORSHIP. 

Through  the  kindness  of  the  people  of  the  Free  Methodist 
church  their  house  was  occupied  on  alternate  Sabbaths,  for 
preaching,  throughout  the  summer  of  1890.  In  the  meantime 
vigorous  steps  were  taken  by  the  Presbyterians  to  secure  a 
sanctuary  of  their  own.  The  trustees  appointed  a  building 
committee.  A  suitable  lot  had  already  been  secured,  and  sub- 
scriptions were  at  once  taken  for  the  proposed  new  house.  The 
matter  of  securing  a  plan,  in  conference  with  Rev.  R.  B.  Moore 
and  other  members  of  the  building  committee,  was  put  in  the 
hands  of  Mr.  S.  P.  Andrews.  An  agreement  was  soon  effected 
as  to  what  the  house  should  be,  and  the  contract  and  manage- 
ment of  its  construction  were  committed  to  Mr.  Andrews.  In 
the  course  of  the  latter  part  of  the  summer  and  autumn  the 
work  was  done,  and  the  building  was  ready  for  dedication  by 
about  the  first  of  January,  1891.  It  is  a  frame  structure  of 
pleasant  appearance,  with  tower,  prayer-meeting  room,  and 
with  a  furnace  room,  and  furnace  for  heating,  in  the  basement. 
At  its  dedication  Rev.  D.  J.  Mease,  of  Mansfield,  preached  the 
sermon  from  the  Word  in  Ephesians  v,  27 :  "A  glorious 
church." 

The  total  cost  was  about  $3000,  to  which  has  been  since 
added  the  expense  of  a  bell,  costing  $190,  and  other  matters 
making  $100  more. 


THE  CHURCH  OF  STEUBEN.  469 

PREACHING   AND   SABBATH   SCHOOL. 

Rev.  R.  B.  Moore  continued  his  services  for  this  people  till 
near  October  1,  1890.  Rev.  J.  P.  O'Brien  then  assumed  the 
charge,  and  continued  till  about  June  1,  1891.  Rev.  E.  L. 
Anderson  began  to  labor  with  and  for  them  in  the  early  part 
of  October  following,  and  continues  to  the  present  time.  The 
church  continues  to  grow,  slowly  but  permanently.  The  vil- 
lage has  also  grown,  until  its  population  now  numbers  from 
sixteen  hundred  to  eighteen  hundred  souls. 

The  Chicago  church  is  united  with  the  church  of  Steuben  in 
the  support  of  a  minister.  The  home  of  the  minister  is  in 
Chicago,  and  the  people  there  are  contemplating  the  matter  of 
a  parsonage,  which  they  hope  to  erect  at  an  early  day. 

The  Sabbath  school  was  organized  in  the  early  spring  of 
1890,  in  the  Free  Methodist  church.  It  was  then  a  union  school, 
with  Prof.  J.  A.  Pittsford  as  superintendent.  In  the  new 
house  it  continues  as  a  union  school,  the  M.  E.  people  and  the 
Presbyterians  uniting,  with  Prof.  Pittsford  still  as  superin- 
tendent. 

THE  CHURCH  OF  STEUBEN. 

Of  the  churches  under  the  care  of  Huron  Presbyter}^,  the 
youngest  is  that  of  Steuben.  It  was  received  by  the  Presbytery 
on  the  9th  of  February,  1891.  It  is  located  in  a  most  lovely 
region  of  country.  The  beautiful  farms  and  the  comfortable 
homes  suggest  to  the  passer-by  the  thought  of  the  smile  of 
God.  Everywhere  there  is  indication  of  abundance  and  of 
prosperity. 

The  church,  though  so  recently  become  Presbyterian,  is  the 
offspring  of  two  others  which  have  long  had  an  existence  and 
a  name.  The  Congregational  church  of  Greenfield  was  organ- 
ized July  3,  1822,  by  Rev.  Alvan  Coe  and  Lot  B.  Sullivan. 
It  then  consisted  of  three  males  and  nine  females.  Matthew 
McKelvey  was  chosen  clerk.  On  August  26,  1825,  Hugh  A. 
Campbell  was  elected  deacon ;  on  August  26,  1826,  Levi  Piatt 
was  chosen,  and  Noah  Parsons  January  1,  1848. 


470  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCHES. 

The  following  ministers  served  the  church  from  its  organiza- 
tion down  to  1853:  Rev.  E.  Conger,  commencing  about  1824 
or  the  early  part  of  1825 ;  Rev.  J.  H.  Russ,  Rev.  E.  P.  Salmon, 
and  Revs.  A.  Blanchard,  J.  B.  Parlin,  Francis  Child,  Enos 
Wood,  Abram  C.  Dubois,  A.  K.  Barr,  C.  W.  Clapp,  and  R.  S. 
Lockwood. 

For  many  years  this  "First  Congregational  Church  of  Green- 
field "  was  under  the  care  of  the  Presbytery.  It  seceded,  how- 
ever, in  the  course  of  time,  to  the  Association.  It  has  a 
commodious  house  of  worship,  and  for  many  years  has  had 
good  congregations  attending  upon  its  worship.  Somewhere 
before  1840  a  Free-Will  Baptist  church,  also,  was  formed  in  the 
village.  About  that  year  this  society  erected  a  large  and 
pleasant  house  of  worship.  For  a  time  the  church  seemed  to 
prosper.  In  course  of  time  it  became  weak,  and  for  some  reason 
was  unable  to  secure  the  regular  means  of  grace.  Resulting 
from  its  weakness,  and  from  some  want  of  harmony  in  the  Con- 
gregational church,  a  new  society  was  eventually  formed  from 
the  parts  of  the  two  old  organizations,  the  majority,  however, 
being  of  the  Baptist  church.  This  society,  for  a  time,  called 
itself  a  Congregational  church,  but  was  not  recognized  by  the 
Association.  It  for  some  time  contemplated  the  idea  of  becom- 
ing Presbyterian  and  coming  under  the  care  of  the  Presbytery. 
This  purpose  was  consummated  at  the  date  given  above.  This 
people  have  a  house  of  worship  which  they  use,  though  it  still 
in  law  belongs  to  the  Free-Will  Baptist  body,  though  this 
society  of  Baptists  has  ceased  to  exist.  They  have  a  member- 
ship of  about  fifty,  and  are  united  with  the  church  of  Chicago 
in  the  support  of  a  minister  and  in  the  enjoyment  of  his  ser- 
vices. They  pay  half  his  salary,  and  have  preaching  one-half 
of  his  time. 

They  elected  three  elders,  who  have  been  ordained  and 
installed  :  B.  R.  Wheeler,  A.  W.  Baker,  and  G.  W.  Brant. 

They  have  a  Sabbath  school  which  numbers  about  the  same 
as  the  church,  and  of  which  A.  AV.  Baker  is  the  superintendent. 

Rev.  J.  P.  O'Brien  ministered  to  them  for  a  time  previous  to 


OTHER   CHURCHES.  471 

their  becoming  Presbyterian  and  for  several  months  afterward. 
A  few  months  after  he  withdrew  Rev.  E.  L.  Anderson  came  to 
them,  and  has  served  tliem  to  tlie  present  time,  beginning 
October,  1891. 

There  is  hope  that  this  church,  located  in  this  charming 
region  of  country,  may  have  upon  it  the  blessing  of  God,  and 
that  it  may  prosper  and  do  much  for  the  honor  of  Him  who 
gave  His  life  to  redeem  men. 


OTHER  CHURCHES. 

The  history  of  Huron  Presbytery  would  hardly  be  complete 
without  some  reference  to  those  localities  that  have  been  min- 
istered unto,  and  those  churches  that  were  organized,  in  an  early 
day,  by  the  ministers  operating  either  under  the  supervision  of 
this  body  or  of  that  from  which  it  was  formed,  and  which 
localities  and  churches  no  longer  have  a  place  upon  the  Pres- 
byterial  roll.  The  Presbytery  has  lost  its  hold  upon  them,  as 
they  have  withdrawn  from  its  jurisdiction ;  but  they  are  not 
to  be  wholly  forgotten.  We  may  still  remember  that  they  once 
were  of  us,  and  we  may  pray  for  their  peace  and  prosperity. 

It  is  an  interesting  fact  that  in  carrying  out  the  spirit  and 
letter  of  the  old  Plan  of  Union,  those  earnest  ministers  went 
into  almost  every  community  and  corner  of  what  are  now 
Huron  and  Erie  Counties.  They  carried  the  Gospel  message 
wherever  there  was  a  people  to  hear  it ;  and  where  there  was  a 
reasonable  nucleus  to  encourage  an  organization  there  they 
formed  a  church.  There  were  no  less  than  sixteen  such  points 
in  these  two  counties  where  the  church  formed  has  ceased  to 
be  under  the  care  of  the  Presbytery.  Some  few  of  them  have 
ceased  to  have  an  existence  as  church  organizations,  while 
others  now  belong  to  tlie  Congregationalist  denomination. 

As  early  as  1810  Rev.  Joseph  Badger  conducted  religious 
service  in  Vermillion,  at  the  house  of  Captain  William  Austin. 
Others  followed  with  similar  services  from  time  to  time,  and  on 
the   20th   of  February,   1818,   a   Congregational   church  was 


472  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCHES. 

organized  there.  This  church  has  always  been  Congregational 
in  its  polity,  and  was  not  for  many  years  under  care  of  the 
Presbytery.  Nothing  but  the  Plan  of  Union  gave  it  any  con- 
nection with  this  body. 

In  March,  1817,  Rev.  Alvan  Coo  preached  the  first  sermon 
that  was  delivered  in  Norwich  Township.  There  was,  however, 
no  organization  effected  there. 

On  March  23,  1819,  the  Congregational  Society  of  Fitchville 
was  organized  by  Rev.  John  Seward  and  Rev.  Joseph  Treat. 
This  is  the  church  that  gave  the  Presbytery  some  trouble, 
battling  as  it  did  for  a  time  between  Congregationalism  and 
Presbyterianism.  It  has  come  to  be  an  interesting  and  pros- 
perous church. 

About  the  year  1819  Rev.  Lot  B.  Sullivan  preached  in  Hart- 
land.  The  Hartland  church  was,  however,  not  formed  until 
-^  July  12,  1837,  at  which  time  the  organization  was  effected  by 
Rev.  A.  Newton,  Rev.  A.  H.  Betts,  and  Elijah  Bemiss.  It  was 
connected  wdth  the  Presbytery  for  only  a  few  years. 

In  1819,  May  2Sth,  Rev.  John  Seward  and  Rev.  Joseph  Treat 
organized  the  Congregational  church  of  Sandusky.  This  is 
the  church  which  withdrew  on  account  of  the  slavery  agitation, 
and  out  of  which  eventually  the  members  went  who  constituted 
the  Presbyterian  church  of  that  city  at  its  formation. 

On  January  3,  1822,  as  already  mentioned,  the  Congrega- 
tional church  of  Greenfield  was  formed  by  Rev.  A.  Coe  and 
Rev.  Lot  B.  Sullivan.  It  was  more  than  thirty  years  on  tlie 
roll  of  the  Presbytery,  when  it  withdrew  to  the  Association. 

October  25,  1822,  the  church  of  Wakcman  was  organized  by 
Rev.  Joseph  Treat  and  Rev.  A.  H.  Betts.  It  for  some  years 
had  some  trouble  to  know  where  it  belonged.  It  withdrew, 
then  returned,  and  again  withdrew  from  the  Presbytery. 

The  same  two  ministers,  on  the  24th  of  October,  1822,  formed 
a  church  at  Clarksfield. 

February  26,  1823,  the  Congregational  church  of  Berlin  was 
constituted  by  Rev.  Lot  B.  Sullivan  and  Rev.  A.  H.  Betts. 
When  organized,  this  church  came  under  the  care  of  the  Pres- 


OTHER   CHURCHES.  473 

bytery.  It  elected  no  deacon  till  1835,  and  had,  of  course,  no 
elders ;  but  it  adopted  a  Confession  of  Faith  almost  identical 
with  that  in  use  in  the  Presbytery.  In  1824,  April  16th,  Rev. 
L.  B.  Sullivan  and  Mr.  Gaylord  formed  a  church  at  New  y- 
Haven.  This  was  one  of  the  early  fields  of  Rev.  E.  Conger, 
where  he  preached  in  connection  with  his  labors  at  Greenfield. 
This  society  had  but  a  few  years  of  existence.  It  was  probably 
absorbed  by  the  Presbyterian  church  of  Plymouth.  The  Con- 
gregational church  of  Ruggles,  in  Ashland  County,  was 
organized  January  11,  1827,  by  Rev.  E.  T.  Woodruff  and  Rev. 
Ludovicus  Robbins.     It  for  a  time  belonged  to  the  Presb3^tery. 

At  Florence  the  church  was  formed  by  Revs.  Bradstreet, 
Betts,  and  Dunton,  on  the  7th  of  January,  1832.  This  church 
remained  with  the  Presbytery  until  after  the  reunion  of  1870, 
when,  in  1875,  it  withdrew  to  the  Association. 

August  20,  1831,  Rev.  S.  Dunton  and  Rev.  E.  P.  Salmon 
organized  the  church  of  Ripley.  It  was  called  the  "  First 
Presbyterian  Church  in  Riplej'."  Rev.  Samuel  Dunton  sup- 
plied it  for  a  year.  It  was  ministered  to  by  other  members  of 
the  Presbytery  and  was  under  its  care  for  some  time  after  the 
year  1853. 

January  10,  1838,  the  church  of  Birmingham  was  formed 
by  tlie  Presbyter}'.  It  was  still  with  the  Presbytery  at  the 
time  of  the  reunion,  but  in  a  few  years  withdrew  to  the  Asso- 
ciation. 

The  first  sermon  ever  preached  in  Sherman  is  said  to  have 
been  by  Rev.  Alvan  Coe. 

In  January,  1819,  Rev.  John  Seward  organized  a  Presbyte- 
rian church  at  Margaretta  (now  Castalia).  Its  principal  mem- 
bers, however,  soon  moving  away,  it  became  extinct.  But  in  ^ 
1835,  October  30th,  the  Congregational  church  was  there  con- 
stituted. This  society  was  under  the  care  of  the  Presbytery 
until  after  the  reunion  ;  withdrew  in  1875. 

In  1836,  September  19th,  Revs.  E.  Conger,  A.  Nash,  and  A. 
H.  Betts  organized  the  church  of  Bellevue.  It  was  then  Pres- 
byterian, but,  in  course  of  time,  it  became  Congregational  and 


474  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCHES. 

withdrew  from  the  Presbytery.    It  is  now  a  flourishing  church 
in  a  pleasant  village. 

In  addition  to  these,  a  Presbyterian  church  was  formed  at 
Attica,  Seneca  County,  by  Rev.  E.  Conger  and  Rev.  E.  Judson 
in  1833.  It  had  an  excellent  elder  in  the  person  of  Mr.  .J. 
Ford,  whose  face  was  often  seen,  and  his  voice  frequently  heard, 
in  the  meetings  of  the  Presbytery.  But  the  organization  was 
eventually  dissolved  by  Rev.  E.  Conger  under  the  advice  of 
the  body. 

All  of  these  churches  were  under  the  jurisdiction  or  care  of 
Huron  Presbytery  after  its  organization,  and  a  number  of 
other  points  were  reached  by  the  ministers  of  this  body  in 
other  counties.  The  ministers  in  that  day  evidently  were 
active  men,  and  they  sought  to  reach  out,  in  their  work  for 
Christ,  to  all  the  needy  places.  How  much  they  expected  to 
be  absent  from  their  homes  and  their  families !  Of  these 
churches,  while  some  of  them  withdrew  years  before  the 
reunion,  Margaretta,  Birmingham,  and  Florence  were  with 
the  Presbytery  until  several  years  after  the  event.  In  addition 
to  these  the  Congregational  church  of  Lyme  belonged  to  this 
body  until  1872.  It  was  the  first  church  organized  in  Huron 
County.  It  was  for  so  many  years  an  important  church  in  the 
Presbytery,  and  as  it  was  still  served  by  one  of  our  ministers. 
Rev.  W.  T.  Hart,  for  nine  years  after  its  withdrawal  to  the 
Association,  we  deem  it  becoming  to  give  an  account  of  its 
origin  and  growth  in  these  pages.  We  are  glad  to  be  able  to 
present  the  following  history  of  this  church,  as  furnished 
several  years  ago  by  one  of  its  leading  and  influential  men. 


THE  LYME  CONGREGATIONAL  CHURCH. 

By  John  Drury,  in  1889. 

This  church  was  organized  July  17,  1817,  by  Revs.  John 
Seward,  Joseph  Treat,  and  Alvan  Coe,  from  the  Connecticut 
Missionary  Society,  and  sent  as  a  committee  from  the  Presby- 
tery of  Grand  River,  with  ten  members.     It  was  organized  on 


THE  LYME  CONGREGATIONAL    CHURCH.  475 

the  "  Plan  of  Union,"  partly  Presbyterian  and  partly  Congrega- 
tional, with  the  name  Presbyterian. 

The  people  first  met  at  the  house  of  Francis  Strong,  July  15, 
1817.  After  a  sermon  by  Rev.  Joseph  Treat  the  following 
persons  were  examined  and  approved  as  candidates  for  church 
membership,  preparatory  to  the  organization  of  the  church,  viz. : 
Susanna  Baker,  wife  of  John  Baker ;  Phosbe  Root,  wife  of  Josiah 
Root;  Dinah  Strong,  wife  of  Zadoc  Strong;  Anna  Ferguson, 
wife  of  AVm.  Ferguson,  and  Anna  Silvey,  wife  of  Asa  Silvey. 
Meeting  then  adjourned,  to  meet  again,  on  the  17th,  to  com- 
plete the  organization. 

On  Thursday,  July  17,  1817,  a  meeting  was  held,  agreeable 
to  adjournment,  and  John  Baker,  Francis  Strong,  Wm.  Richey, 
Wm.  Ferguson,  and  Jacob  Goodrich  were  examined  and 
approved.  After  a  sermon  by  Rev.  John  Seward,  these  persons, 
together  with  those  examined  on  the  15th,  with]  the  exception 
of  Mrs.  Silvey,  who  was  providentially  detained,  publicly 
assented  to  a  Confession  of  Faith  and  Covenant,  and  were 
solemnly  declared  to  be  a  visible  church  of  Christ,  and  charged 
to  walk  worthy  of  their  high  calling. 

The  church  then  held  a  meeting,  and  adopted  the  articles  of 
practice  proposed  by  the  Grand  River  Presbyter}^  John  Baker 
was  chosen  moderator  and  Jacob  Goodrich  clerk  ;  William 
Richey  and  Francis  Strong,  as  Standing  Committee ;  also  voted 
to  apply  for  admission  into  the  Grand  River  Presbytery. 

From  the  organization  of  the  church  until  1828  it  worshiped 
in  the  old  log  school-house  near  the  cemetery.  In  1828  a  brick 
school-house  was  built  nearly  in  front  of  the  place  where  the 
church  now  stands,  and  was  used  as  a  place  of  worship  until 
the  present  church  edifice  was  erected  in  1835. 

For  the  first  three  years  of  its  history  the  church  did  not 
have  regular  preaching,  though  public  worship  was  maintained, 
either  through  the  occasional  visits  of  ministers  or  by  the  mem- 
bers of  the  church. 

The  records  show  that  in  September,  1817,  Rev.  Mr.  Leslie 
presided,  when  John  Seeley  was  received  into  the  church;  and 


476  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCHES. 

that,  in  May,  1818,  Rev.  Alvan  Coe  was  present  at  the  reception 
of  Mrs.  Silvey ;  and  again,  in  January,  1820,  when  Asaph  Cook, 
Jas.  Hamilton,  and  Mary  Strong  were  received  into  the  church. 
It  is  beheved  that  Mr.  Coe  visited  the  church  frequently. 

In  1820  the  church  united  with  the  society  in  giving  a  call 
to  Lot  B.  Sullivan  to  become  their  minister,  and  also  in  a 
request  to  the  Presbytery  to  ordain  him.  He  was  ordained  at 
this  place  June  14,  1820  The  ministers  officiating  on  the  oc- 
casion were :  Revs.  Hanford,  Pitkin,  Woodruff,  Treat,  Seward, 
and  Coe.  This  is  said  to  have  been  the  first  ordination  west  of 
the  Cuyahoga  River.  The  ministers,  with  the  exception  of  Mr. 
Coe,  traveled  from  eighty  to  100  miles  to  attend  the  meeting. 

Mr.  Sullivan  preached  for  the  church  about  three  years,  till 
some  time  during  the  year  1823. 

The  church  was  without  a  minister  until  the  summer  of 
1824,  when  Rev.  John  Beach  accepted  a  call  to  preach  one-half 
the  time.     He  remained  with  the  church  about  two  years. 

In  August,  1826,  a  call  was  given  by  the  church  and  society 
to  Rev.  Enoch  Conger  to  become  the  pastor  of  the  church  of 
Lyme  and  Ridgefield.  And  July  24,  1827,  Huron  Presbytery 
installed  Mr.  Conger  over  this  church.  He  continued  to  labor 
with  energy  and  success  until  November,  1835. 

Rev.  Randolph  Stone  preached  for  this  church  the  first 
half  of  1836.  He  received  a  call  to  become  its  pastor.  He  at 
first  refused,  then  accepted,  but  after  a  few  days  declined  and 
withdrew.  During  his  short  stay  fifty  were  received  into  the 
church. 

Rev.  Xenophon  Betts  began  his  labors  January  1,  1837,  and 
was  installed  pastor  in  February.  The  pastoral  relation  w^as 
dissolved  June  9,  1840,  in  about  three  and  a  half  years. 

Rev.  S.  W.  Burritt  began  his  labors  April  1,  1841 ;  was  in- 
stalled October  26th  of  the  same  year,  and  the  pastoral  relation 
was  dissolved  October  14,  1845,  after  about  four  and  one-half 
years. 

Rev.  H.  N.  Bissell  Avas  the  next  minister.  He  began  to 
preach  November  1,  1845 ;  was  installed  pastor  December  2, 


THE  LYME  CONGREGATIONAL   CHURCH.  477 

1846,  and  dismissed  April  5,  1854,  about  eight  and  one-half 
years. 

Rev.  Theophilus  Packard  labored  in  the  ministry  of  this 
church  from  October,  1854,  to  October,  1855. 

About  the  1st  of  January,  1856,  Rev.  S.  B.  Gilbert  was  en- 
gaged as  stated  sujDply,  and  continued  to  labor  until  his  death, 
May  22,  1857,  one  year  and  a  half  nearly. 

Rev.  F.  E.  Sheldon  was  called  in  March,  1858,  and  remained 
to  the  fall  of  1860,  two  years  and  a  half. 

Rev.  S.  D.  Smith  was  the  minister  of  this  church  for  four 
years,  commencing  with  the  first  of  1861. 

Rev.  W.  T.  Hart  commenced  his  labors  with  this  church  and 
people  May  26,  1865.  This  was  his  first  field  of  labor  after 
graduating  from  Lane  Seminary. 

Mr.  Hart's  pastorate  was  the  longest  ever  enjoyed  by  this 
church — sixteen  and  a  half  years.  He  was  faithful  and  untir- 
ing in  his  efforts  to  build  up  the  Redeemer's  kingdom  in  the 
hearts  of  this  people,  and  his  labors  were  abundantly  crowned 
with  success.  During  his  ministry  the  church  was  greatly 
quickened  and  built  up,  its  members  brought  to  take  an  active 
part  in  all  Christian  work ;  several  missionary  societies  were 
formed  which  have  done  and  are  doing  efficient  work  for  the 
Master;  important  improvements  were  made  in  the  church 
edifice  and  on  the  parsonage,  and  many  changes  wrought  for 
the  better  in  both  the  church  and  the  society. 

Rev.  W.  F.  McMillin  accepted  a  call  March  1,  1882,  and  was 
installed  April  4, 1882.  This  pastoral  relation  was  dissolved  at 
Mr.  McMillin's  request,  that  he  might  take  a  course  of  study  at 
the  Oberlin  Theological  Seminary,  his  resignation  taking 
effect  September  1,  1885. 

Rev.  A.  E.  Colton,  the  present  pastor,  commenced  his  labors 
March  14,  1886. 

This  church  has  had,  since  its  organization,  seventy-one 
years  ago,  the  services  of  fourteen  ministers,  in  terms  of  service 
from  one-half  a  year  to  sixteen  and  a  half  years — Mr.  Stone's 
the  shortest,  Mr.  Hart's  the  longest. 


478  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCHES. 

REVIVALS   AND   MEMBERSHIP, 

This  church  lias  enjoyed  special  seasons  of  revival,  resulting 
in  large  additions  to  its  membership.  Previous  to  1831  this 
church  had  no  revival,  and  but  eight  had  united  with  the 
church  on  profession  in  fourteen  years.  During  Mr.  Conger's 
pastorate,  in  1831,  there  was  a  great  interest,  and  thirty-six 
united  on  profession  and  eight  by  letter.  This  was  a  deep  and 
genuine  work,  and  the  strength  and  number  of  the  church 
more  than  doubled.  About  this  time  the  churches  were  hold- 
ing union  meetings,  or  "  conferences  of  the  churches,"  as  they 
were  called.  These  meetings  were  prolonged  from  one  to  four 
days.  Most  of  tlie  churches  were  revived.  For  several  years 
frequent  showers  of  Divine  grace  were  experienced.  This 
church  received,  in  1832,  fourteen  members,  in  1833  ten,  in 
1834  sixteen,  in  1835  ten,  and  in  1836,  under  the  preaching  of 
Mr.  Stone,  who  succeeded  Mr.  Conger,  fifty  were  received.  The 
seed  had  been  faithfully  sown  and  the  ground  prepared.  Mr. 
Stone's  preaching  was  plain,  pointed,  and  powerful.  Thirty- 
three  out  of  the  fifty  received  were  adults.  As  the  result  of 
revivals,  numbers  were  added  to  the  church  at  various  times 
in  1840.  When  Mr.  Betts  was  pastor  there  was  quite  an  in- 
gathering ;  in  1856,  during  Mr.  Gilbert's  short  pastorate, 
twenty-four  were  received  on  profession,  and  under  Mr.  Smith's 
preaching,  in  1861,  eleven  were  received. 

Mr.  Hart  held  revival  meetings  in  the  winter  and  spring  of 
1866,  and  twenty -four  were  received  on  profession  and  six  by 
letter.  During  the  first  part  of  1873  we  had  what  is  known  as 
the  great  revival.  It  commenced  with  the  week  of  prayer,  and 
meetings  were  held  almost  daily  for  more  than  three  months. 
Neighboring  ministers  and  lay  delegations  from  Norwalk  ren- 
dered assistance;  meetings  were  held  in  the  various  school- 
houses  throughout  the  parish ;  the  Gospel  was  faithfully 
preached;  almost  the  whole  congregation  was  gathered  into 
the  Sunday  school,  and  in  some  classes  nearly  all  were  brought 
to  Christ.  As  a  result  of  this  revival  fifty -one  were  received  on 
profession  and  nine  by  letter. 


THE  LYME  CONGREGATIONAL   CHURCH.  479 

Numerous  additions  have  been  received  during  the  pastorate 
of  Rev.  McMillen  and  our  present  pastor,  Mr.  Colton.  Since 
its  organization  the  church  has  received  600  into  its  member- 
ship ;  the  present  number  is  150. 

THE    SUNDAY    SCHOOL. 

In  May,  1818,  a  Sabbath  school  was  organized  in  the  log 
school-house  near  the  cemetery.  This  was  the  fourth  Sabbath 
school  organized  in  the  State.  Francis  Strong,  the  father  of 
Lyman  and  Asahel  Strong,  late  of  Cleveland,  was  the  first 
superintendent ;  Susan  Strong,  now  Mrs.  Holton  (daughter  of 
Francis  Strong),  who  was  then  five  years  of  age,  was  one  of  the 
first  scholars,  and  has  been  connected  with  the  school  ever  since 
— seventy  years. 

The  exercises  of  the  school  at  that  early  day  consisted  largely 
of  recitation  of  Scripture,  some  scholars  reciting  chapter  after 
chapter  at  each  session. 

There  are  no  records  of  the  school  until  1830.  At  that  time 
the  enrollment  was  twenty-four,  in  1831  forty-four,  in  1832 
fifty-six,  in  1833  eighty-one,  in  1834  seventy-five,  in  1835 
seventy-seven. 

Francis  Strong  was  superintendent  till  about  1829.  Milton 
Knox  succeeded  him  for  about  one  year.  Dr.  Charles  Smith 
was  superintendent  from  1830  to  1834,  Calvin  Bartlett  in 
1835,  and  Freeman  Whitman  in  1S3G.  In  May,  1838,  Mr. 
Whitman  was  elected  superintendent  by  the  church,  but 
resigned  June  3d  of  the  same  year,  and  John  Seymour  was 
elected  in  his  place.  Elijah  Bemiss  was  elected  superintendent 
June  16,  1839,  and  continued  to  hold  it  till  his  death,  October, 
1869,  over  thirty  years.  Rev.  W.  T.  Hart  succeeded  Mr.  Bemiss 
in  1869,  and  held  the  office  till  November,  1881.  During  Mr. 
Hart's  superintendency  the  school  reached  its  greatest  sphere 
of  usefulness ;  the  increased  interest  in  Bible  study  was  very 
marked ;  the  adult  portion  of  the  congregation  were  gathered 
into  the  school ;  Sabbath  school  and  review  concerts  were  held 
quite  frequently.     Teachers'  meetings  were  first  regularly  held 


480  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCHES. 

in  18G9,  an<l  have  been  sustained  until  the  present.  Large 
additions  were  made  to  the  Sabbatli-scliool  library.  The  school 
was  brought  into  active  work  in  organizing  and  sustaining 
schools  in  other  neighborhoods.  The  average  attendance  was 
increased,  in  1873,  to  130,  the  largest  in  its  history. 

Mrs.  Hart  was,  for  many  years,  the  teacher  of  the  primary 
class.  By  her  earnest,  faithful,  and  systematic  Christian  work 
and  untiring  zeal  a  great  work  was  accomplished  in  this  depart- 
ment of  our  school,  the  result  of  whicli  we  are  constantly 
reaping. 

This  church  has  always  been  in  sympathy  with  the  Christian 
and  moral  enterprises  of  the  da}'.  Contributions  to  the  various 
missionary  and  educational  societies  have  been  made  from  the 
first,  at  the  solicitation  of  agents,  and  at  the  monthh'  concerts- 
In  1869  the  church  adopted  the  plan  of  weekly  offerings  in  the 
church  and  Sunday  school.  By  this  plan  our  contributions 
have  been  increased,  and  our  church  ranks  first  among  the 
churches  in  its  liberality.  We  have  an  active  "Woman's 
Missionary  Society,  a  Young  People's  Missionary  Circle,  and  a 
Missionary  Band,  all  doing  their  share  in  the  mission  work. 
This  church  has  always  had  in  its  membership  men  and 
women  who  were  noted  for  their  missionary  spirit,  those  who 
were  willing  to  make  sacrifices  and  who  have  constantly  kept 
the  great  interests  of  Christ's  kingdom  before  the  people.  On 
the  temperance  and  slavery  questions  our  church  has  stood  in 
the  front  rank.  Many  agents  of  the  underground  railroad 
were  to  have  been  found  here,  who  were  willing  to  help  the 
oppressed  on  their  way  to  freedom. 

OFFICERS. 

The  deacons  of  the  church  have  been  Moses  Thatcher,  Dr. 
Charles  Smith,  Joseph  Peirce,  J.  M.  Drury,  Calvin  Barnard, 
Geo.  W.  Seymour,  Melvin  Wood,  Alfred  Barnard  and  Mark 
Wines. 

The  following  persons  have  been  members  of  the  Standing 
Committee,  or  members  of  the  Board  of  Elders  as  it  existed 


LY3IE   TOWNSHIP.  481 

under  the  "  Plan  of  Union,"  viz. :  William  Richey,  Francis 
Strong,  John  Seymour,  Dr.  Smith,  Jas.  Hamilton,  John  F. 
Adams,  Elijah  Bemiss,  J.  M.  Drury,  Jos.  Peirce,  Worthington 
Nims,  Eli  Edwards,  Geo.  W.  Seymour,  and  Melvin  Wood. 

The  church  clerks  have  been  Jacob  Goodrich,  Lewis  Stone, 
Enoch  Conger,  John  Seymour,  and  John  Drury.  Mr.  Seymour 
was  elected  clerk  in  182G  and  held  the  office  till  his  death, 
March,  1881,  a  period  of  fifty-five  years,  excepting  from  1832 
to  1835,  when  he  belonged  to  the  Monroeville  church  after  the 
people  of  Lyme  and  Ridgefield  had  been  divided. 

DENOMINATIONAL    CHANGE. 

*'  This  church  has  had  its  difficulties  and  trials.  Doctrinal 
difficulties  and  questions  of  church  polity  have  agitated  it." 
Numerous  have  been  its  discussions  in  regard  to  old  and  new 
measures,  but  these  differences  have  been  removed  and  peace 
and  harmony  prevail. 

As  has  been  stated,  this  church  was  organized  on  the  Plan  of 
Union,  partly  Presbyterian  and  partly  Congregational,  with 
Presbyterian  name.  This  plan  was  continued  until  1872.  In 
April,  1872,  the  church  voted  to  change  its  connection  and 
become  fully  Congregational.  The  church  withdrew  from  the 
Presbytery  and  united  with  the  Congregational  Conference. 

NOTES. 

This  church  was  first  called  "  The  Church  of  Wheatsbor- 
ough,"  that  being  the  name  by  which  the  place  was  formerly 
called ;  afterward  it  was  called  "  The  Church  of  Lyme  and 
Ridgefield,"  and,  finally,  "  The  Church  of  Lyme." 

LYME  TOWNSHIP. 

This  township  was  originally  joined  with  the  township  of 
Groton,  Erie  County,  and  called  Wheatsborough,  after  INIr. 
Wheat,  who  owned  a  large  tract  of  land  in  Groton.  In  1818 
the  township  of  Lyme  was  organized.  It  included  the  southern 
half  of  Groton  till  1840,  when  the  county  of  Erie  was  formed  ; 
31 


482  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCHES. 

then  the  county  and  township  lines  were  made  identical,  leaving 
Lyme  Township  as  at  present.  The  first  minister  who  visited 
the  Township  was  E-ev.  Simeon  Woodruff,  a  Presbyterian.  He 
preached  here  in  April,  1815,  at  the  house  of  either  Captain  or 
Major  Strong.  Rev.  Alvan  Coe  is  said  to  have  preached  occa- 
sionally in  1816  and  the  first  half  of  1817.  His  home  was  at 
Greenfield,  Huron  County.  Probably  through  him  the  word 
was  sent  to  the  Connecticut  Missionary  Society  that  there  were 
those  who  wished  to  be  organized  into  a  church.- 

EARLY   SETTLERS. 

The  first  family  that  settled  in  the  township  was  that  of  Con- 
rad Hawks,  in  1808 ;  Michael  Widner  and  John  StuU,  with 
their  families,  in  1809.  Major  Joseph  Strong  first  visited  the 
place  in  1811;  came  again  with  his  sons,  Nathan  and  Lester, 
in  1812,  and  commenced  farming.  After  Hull's  surrender  they, 
with  others,  fled  on  account  of  the  Indians — going  to  Mt.  Ver- 
non. They  returned  when  General  Harrison  took  command 
of  this  region  and  made  it  safe.  Major  Strong  returned  to  New 
York,  and  in  the  spring  of  1813  he  moved  his  family  here. 
George  Ferguson  and  family  came  the  same  spring.  These 
families  with  some  young  men  united  in  building  a  block 
house  for  protection  against  the  Indians.  During  the  year 
1813  Major  Strong  went  to  Connecticut  and  purchased  some- 
thing more  than  3000  acres  of  land  for  himself  and  others. 
Captain  Zadoc  Strong  and  Stephen  Russell  came  in  1814 ; 
Francis  Strong  and  John  Baker,  with  their  families,  came  from 
Horner,  N.  Y.,  in  1815  ;  Jacob  Goodrich  came  in  the  same  year. 
Charles  Rash  and  Asa  Silvey  moved  here  in  1815,  and  Abner 
Strong  in  1816.  These  families  constituted  the  settlement  on 
what  was  and  is  known  as  Strong's  Ridge  up  to  the  organiza- 
tion of  this  church.  As  early  as  the  spring  of  1816  these  people 
began  to  assemble  regularly  on  the  Sabbath  to  unite  in  a  ser- 
vice conducted  by  Squire  Strong,  or  John  Baker,  and  to  listen 
to  a  sermon  read  by  one  of  these  men,  or  by  Captain  Hopkins, 
who  was  a  good  reader  but  not  a  professing  Christian. 


DENOMINATIONAL  RESULTS.  483 

DENOMINATIONAL  RESULTS. 

Nearl}'^  all  of  the  churches  in  what  are  now  Huron  and  Erie 
Counties,  both  Congregational  and  Presbyterian,  were  organized 
under  the  Plan  of  Union,  as  were  also  most  of  the  Presbyterian 
churches  in  Sandusky  and  Seneca  Counties.  Into  the  two  latter 
counties  Congregationalism  has  not  entered  to  organize  any 
churches.  Neither  has  the  denomination  any  hold  in  Ottawa, 
the  other  county  of  Huron  Presbytery. 

In  the  two  counties  first  named  there  was  for  many  years  a 
perhaps  not  unfriendly  conflict  between  the  two  denomina- 
tions. The  influence  of  Congregationalism  from  Oberlin 
reached  over  into  the  Presbytery.  The  spirit  and  power  of  the 
Plan  of  Union  was  broken  by  the  formation  of  the  Association. 
Both  denominations  sought  to  hold  their  own  and  to  increase 
the  number  of  their  churches.  In  some  of  the  churches  the 
Presbyterianism,  or  the  Congregationalism,  in  the  minister  and 
the  people,  was  so  strong  that  the  question  of  denomination 
was  easily  settled.  In  a  few  of  the  churches,  where  the  two 
factors  were  more  nearly  equal,  the  matter  was  not  so  easily 
decided.  There  was  some  strife  within  the  church,  and  in 
some  instances  it  was  warm,  and  continued  to  irritate  for  j^ears, 
greatly  to  the  hindrance  of  the  Gospel.  All  down  the  years, 
from  about  1830,  the  lines  were  being  drawn  ;  individuals  and 
societies  were  finding  their  own  denominational  home. 

A  few  of  the  churches  soon  withdrew  from  the  Presbytery. 
Others  remained  that  were  strongly  Congregational ;  some  of 
them,  perhaps,  because  they  had  in  them  an  influential  Presby- 
terian element.  These  were  cared  for  and  nourished  under 
the  "  Plan  of  Union ;"  and  the  Presbytery  never  forgot  either 
their  relation  to  it  or  to  the  "  Plan."  As  we  have  seen,  the 
denominational  lines  were  only  finally  settled  after  the  re- 
union. In  a  few  years  after  that  event  four  of  the  churches 
went  over  to  the  Association  from  the  Presbytery.  It  has 
been  interesting  to  trace  the  history  of  the  churches  in  these 
counties,  and  to  see  manifestations  of  human  nature  on  the 


484  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCnES. 

one  hand  and  those  of  grace  and  charit}^  on  the  other.  Out  of 
all  what  have  we  now  left?  Not  far  from  an  equal  divide  be- 
tween the  two  denominations  in  the  counties  that  were  part  of 
the  Great  Western  Reserve.  The  Association  may  say  that  it 
has  held  its  own ;  and  that  of  the  churches  that  sprung  up 
under  the  great  scheme  that  was  designed  to  unite  Presbyteri- 
anism  and  Congregationalism  in  harmonious  work  for  the 
Master,  it  has,  on  this  territory,  secured  to  itself  one-half.  The 
Presbytery  may  also  congratulate  itself  that  now,  since  that 
scheme  is  a  thing  of  the  past,  and  since  it  is  no  longer  effective, 
or  needed  by  either  denomination  for  its  encouragement,  fully 
one-half  of  the  churches  and  half  of  the  communicants  still 
adhere  to  it ;  and  the  Presbyter}^  is  prosperous,  and  growing  in 
the  number  of  its  communicants  from  year  to  year. 

And,  though  there  may  have  been  the  years  of  jealousy  and 
strife,  yet  now  the  two  denominations  may  congratulate  them- 
selves, and  give  thanks  to  God,  that  it  is  so  no  longer ;  and 
that,  while  the  lines  are  now  clearly  drawn  between  them, 
there  is  harmony  and  the  interchange  of  friendly  Christian 
greeting. 

There  is  no  longer  the  Plan  of  Union,  which  was  human  ; 
but  there  is  the  spirit  of  oneness,  which  is  of  God  and  of  the 
blood  of  the  Lamb,  and  which  is  eternal. 


APPENDIX. 


A.    THE  MELMORE  CHURCH. 

The  reader  will  find  in  the  History  of  the  Presbytery,  on 
page  66,  the  statement  that  the  church  of  Melmore  was  organ- 
ized on  the  13th  of  October,  1828,  with  twenty-seven  members. 
In  the  history  of  that  church,  on  page  348,  he  will  read  that 
it  was  organized  on  the  2Sth  of  July,  1828,  with  fifteen  mem- 
bers. The  explanation  of  this  discrepancy  is  not  difficult: 
There  was  a  temporary  or  incomplete  organization  of  the 
fifteen  persons  named  on  the  28th  (or  21st?)  of  July.  The 
elders  were  then  elected,  but  not  ordained.  These  facts  were 
reported  to  the  Presbytery  by  Mr.  Robinson  on  the  20th  of 
August,  at  which  time  he  became  a  member  of  that  body ; 
thereupon,  he  and  Mr.  Conger  were  appointed  to  complete  the 
organization  by  the  ordination  of  the  elders.  This  was  done 
on  the  13th  of  October,  when  other  members  were  also  added 
to  the  church,  making  the  number  twenty-seven. 

If  there  be  other  cases  of  apparent  disagreement  between 
the  statements  of  the  Presbyterial  Records  and  those  of  par- 
ticular churches,  a  like  explanation  is  the  simple  method  of 
reconciling  them.  The  fact  is  that  a  number  of  the  churches 
were  temporarily,  or  informally,  organized  and  officers  chosen 
some  weeks  prior  to  the  time  at  which  the  completed  organiza- 
tion is  recognized  by  the  Presbytery  as  having  taken  place. 

The  records  of  the  church  may,  in  some  instances,  date  from 
the  earlier  formation,  whereas  those  of  the  Presbytery  regard 
only  the  latter. 

B.    NAMES. 

One  of  the  difficulties  in  a  work  like  this,  where  so  many 
names  of  persons  are   used,  is  to  give  these  names,  all  and 

485 


486  APPENDIX. 

always,  correctly.  We  have  not  been  able  to  do  this  to  absolute 
perfection.  The  wrong  letter  has,  in  a  few  instances,  misplaced 
the  riglit  one.  On  page  134,  and  elsewhere,  we  have  spelled 
Lawrence  with  a  u  instead  of  a  w.  On  pages  138  and  184,  we 
have  //.  G.  instead  of  A.  C.  Dubois.  On  page  157,  we  have 
Jonatlian  instead  of  Johnson  Ford.  On  page  365  the  name  of 
Mrs.  J.  K.  Rohn  appears  as  Mrs.  Kohn.  These,  with  several 
other  cases  of  a  misplaced  letter  in  the  middle  of  the  name, 
escaped  our  notice  until  it  was  too  late  to  make  the  correction. 

Pv.  B.  M. 


^ii'M^i^^,?n„ .I^,*,°.'°?'<^3'   Seminary   Librari 


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